Between the Lines
by DraconicTempest
Summary: Two cats, one fate that will drag the world into a new era. The only question now is if it's for the better for the world, or is revenge too strong, even for a hero. Heed his call well, young heroes, for the horn of Ragnorak has sounded and it's wolves follow close behind. (Blood warning and descriptive death and swearing. Can't forget about swearing.)Because I can rate stuff right
1. Stranger

**Chapter 1**

Stranger

"UP! Napping on the job is not an option!" A harsh voice growled. That was wake up call. Leopardfang is _not_ a gentle cat.

"IT'S HUNTING SEASON!" then my tail was stepped on.

"OW, WHY?!" I moaned.

"SABERPAW, OUT NOW!" I opened my eyes, dragged myself out of the apprentice den and collapsed in front of my mentor. She just gave me the evil eye.

"We're going alone on this trip, so move your lazy butt!" she commanded. I know better than to defy her when she does that. I looked around, it's barely sunrise and no other warriors or apprentices are around. Probably because of Leopardfang, they were all scared of her, other than the leader and deputy.

I got up and started following Leopardfang toward the entrance to the nearest mountain.

Stoneclan were very well hidden, though we hear rumours of clans other from Skyclan whose territory is right beside ours from rogues and loners that come once in a while.

"Stay." my mentor commanded and I do as I'm told. Then the spotted tabby disappeared into the bushes. I never found out where she goes, she just leaves then comes back after a while. I usually go off and do my own things, also known as exploring the territory and unknown places like this underground tunnel.

I go my usual path, left, straight, right then left to my favourite part of the cave system; a large chamber with four giant crystals. The yellow one is staticy, the white one is oddly cold, purple is always emitting smoke, light blue is windy? I don't really know about that one.

 _I'd better go back before Leopardfang comes back and starts ranting about caves._ I raced toward the exit. Unexpectedly, I tripped over something… Soft? I landed on my back and looked at a fuzzy figure on the roof, I mean floor. It's a kit about my age but slightly smaller with dirty, tangled white coat and a torn claw.

"What the? Who are you, kit?" I asked, slightly annoyed. The kit managed to open her eyes. I don't want to admit that I am astonished by these haloed frost blue eyes. Haloed eyes are rare, especially in my clan.

"You're definitely not from here, why are you in StoneClan's territory?!" I questioned, wrinkling my nose from the weird smelling coming from the kit.

"I, I don't know…" The kit answered as I caught a flash of panic slid across her eyes.

"Huh, how about you come with me," I demanded, "I'll take you to my camp, you need to see my leader. _Trespasser_." I snorted as I lead the strange kit out the cave. And standing outside, pacing back and forth impatiently, is my lovely mentor. The spotted tabby's gaze landed on me, then the kit.

"Can somebody explain to me, _what_ is happening right now?! My apprentice with this strange kit?!" Leopardfang demanded, I can feel the atmosphere changed slightly. _Uh oh, Leopardfang's_ really _pissed off_.

"I, uh, found this kit in the cave…" I replied with a barely audible voice while Leopardfang squinted at the poor thing, observing. With her bloody torn claw and her tangled, messy fur and incredibly large haloed eyes, the kit must have an advantage over Leopardfang's history of losing her kit, who looks a bit like her.

"Well, we should take her back to camp and let Cedarbreeze and Moonpetal take at look at him." Leopardfang decided. I stared blankly at my mentor.

 _Is this really Leopardfang?!_ The spotted tabby turned and gave me a dirty look.

"What are you looking at?! Staring into absolutely nothing like a total mouse brain?!" She scolded. _Yup, this_ is _Leopardfang alright._ and the three of us went back to camp.

* * *

It was two days later that the kit woke up again. The next few hours were filled with a) screaming "WHO ARE YOU?!" and "WHO AM I?!", b) me sitting in the corner, sulking, and c) Leopardfang barking orders to others like she's the commander of all the warriors with Astralflight glaring at her behind some moss.

The kit also forgot her name apparently too. So that's also a problem.

"FOR THE LAST TIME, WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER." that was the fourth outburst so far. Yup, I'm keeping track.

"I-I don't know, all I know is that s-she has memory loss! And is probably homeless for a few days judging on how skinny and unclean she was..." Moonpaw whimpered. I felt bad for the medicine cat apprentice, being under an anger powerhouse is not fun, first paw experience. The kit was shivering in a bed of moss, maybe fear, maybe the cold.

"Leopardfang, stop yelling. You're sending the whole camp into a panic." A stern voice meowed, "Saberpaw."

I bolt up. I knew that voice, heck the whole camp knows it.

"Yes, Kestrelstar?" I ask as the leader of Stoneclan appears in the medicine den entrance.

"Starclan is asking for your presence, Cedarbreeze wants you to go to The Star Pyre with him" the dull orange tom says calmly.

"O-ok." I stutter. Only medicine cats have permission to enter there. I leave the medicine cat den and find Cedarbreeze waiting for me.

"It's nice to have some company after going to the Pyre alone after all these moons." he says, "Come now, you'd better get going."

"R-right!" I said and went after him.

* * *

 _I'm scared. I'm FREAKED OUT! My head hurts when I tried to recall my memory. Just try to remember something, anything! Who are they?!_ _Strange cats... I hiss at them when they got close. Why am I here? Did they capture me? Except the limp one and the smaller, brown tabby tom. Where was the smaller one. Where was he? He smelled so familiar yet I cannot place it. The world, it's darkening, fading to nothing…_

* * *

The Pyre was in the cave I visited each time, only in a different chamber. It was a large spire of blue crystal and emitted a very powerful aura. Cedarbreeze walked up to the spire then turned to motion me to come. I do that. He touched his nose to the crystal and I follow his example.

The world turns white, then pale blue and trees and grass materialize in front of me. A chorus of meows fill the air.

 **A tiger at night, Twilight at dawn**

 **A dragon near evening, no trace for long**

 **Wolven threat, windows to where**

 **Cuts in fabric, enter you so dare**

 **Heroes to places unknown to thee**

 **From different planes than you believe**

 **Gaze at the Gods, their words ablaze**

 **'** **The path ahead is clouded with haze'**

Transparent cats stepped out onto the grass, their faces blank of any emotion. I recognize some of them as StoneClan warriors with the same blank faces.

 **So go forth young one with your clan of many**

 **The destiny upon your shoulders is heavy**

The ground opens up and the world returns to white.

 _Why am I not awake yet?_

* * *

I woke just in time to see another cat drop a squirrel in front of me. My stomach growled as I saw food, but fear held me back. I stared at the cat. It is a blue tortie tom with blazing golden eyes. Some of the tension vanishes as he smiles warmly at me and gave me a comforting lick on the shoulder.

"Here, aren't you hungry? Try some squirrel, it's _really_ good." He meowed temptingly. I hesitated a bit before hunger took over and took a huge bite. As I ate as the tortie tom sits near the entrance of the room looking outside. I observed the room. It is made of bushes and brambles, a strong smell of herbs hit my nose. I wrinkled my nose, trying to reduce the revolting smell. Just then a pale gray she-cat with a limp front paw appears behind the leaf curtains.

"I know the smells are strong, but you'll get used to it, I promise." She says as her odd eyes gazed at me warmly. I breath out my nervousness and found myself getting used to this unknown place, feeling more and more comfortable as time passes. I finished the squirrel quickly and tried to stand up and carry the remains to take somewhere else. As I struggled, the pale gray she-cat spoke softly.

"Blueflame will take care of that." she mewed comfortingly and signalled the tortie tom with her tail to take the remains outside. I watched as Blueflame disappeared behind the leaf curtains, revealing a small portion of the camp. A few cats were laying around, chattering away as the sun sank slowly into the horizon behind the mountains.

"Have you remembered anything yet?" The pale grey she-cat's voice dragged my attention back. I open my mouth and try to speak, but nothing would come out, so I just shook my head, only vaguely remembering a word: Twilight.

"That's okay," The she-cat says as she lowered her head to hide the disappointment in her eyes, but she raised her head again, this time her copper eyes comforting yet firm.

"It's going to be okay. I promise that you'll remember someday. Now get some rest. If you need anything, just call me. My name's Moonpaw. " She yawned and gave me a comforting smile as she disappeared behind the bushes, deeper into the room.

"SABERPAW!"

"AHG!" I bolted up onto my paws. Cedarbreeze sighed with relief.

"Good grief, I thought you died from the exertion." he said, thick with worry, "So, what happened?"

I told him everything, the cats, the ground swallowing me up and...

"That's basically it." I told him that, withholding the rest from him. It was on impulse. Cedarbreeze's gaze goes from worry to confusion to neutral.

The trip back is uneventful. When we crossed the border between Stoneclan and Skyclan. There were no signs of a Skyclan patrol. I sighed. My paws were itching for a fight. _I guess I'll pass this time._ And we continued deeper into our territory. Only the occasional bird calls ruined the silence.

Our leader and the medicine cat apprentice greeted our return. I return to my den and collapse, the whole ordeal taking its toll on me.

* * *

 **A/N:** well, wasn't that fun? A revamped version of Between the Lines with more grammar mistakes then the last one. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this 'cause it was one hellava thing to write. ~Storm


	2. Acceptance

**Chapter 2**

Acceptance

I exhaled slowly, taking my first step out of the medicine den. I stared nervously while my paws sank into deep snow and cold jabbed my pads. I pulled it out lightning fast and turned sharply as laughter filled the cold morning air. I glared at the blue tortie behind me.

Blueflame didn't flinch as I bared my teeth at him, amusement gleamed in his eyes.

"It's not going to hurt you," he meowed, "see? It's _fun_!" I opened my mouth slightly as the warrior jumped into the fluffy white substance and threw a pawful of snow at me. It landed squarely on my nose and I shrieked in surprise, pawing the stuff away.

I gagged as Blueflame licked away the snow and dirt mixed in my white pelt. I heard a chuckle behind me. Probably one of my elder friends. I scooped up a pawful of snow and hurled it at the blue tortie warrior. It landed on his face and he yowled in surprise, and we both fell into the snow, _laughing_. I stopped. _I felt_ happiness _at this foreign place._ A slight sneer startled me and I swirled around and saw a small brown tabby standing behind me, licking snow off his messy pelt. My eyes brightened.

"You!" I meowed excitedly. "You saved me! Th-thank you. Tha-that was nice of you." I felt my voice trailed off and I stared into his odd eyes. One brown and one green. _That's interesting._ I braced myself and meowed loudly.

"My name is Twilight, and it was a pleasure to meet you." Blueflame almost choked on snow as the small brown tabby's mouth fell open.

"You remembered?!" He questioned, taking a menaceing step towards me. I backed up, bristling and found Blueflame flanking me.

"Hey, don't scare her like that, Saberpaw!" He meowed. _So his name is Saberpaw. An apprentice._ I thought and matched his suffix with the rank 'apprentice'. _Thank Starclan Moonpaw taught me all about clan cats._ I let out a relieved sigh before realizing I just used a clan cat word. _Great._

"TELL ME!" I jumped as Saberpaw hissed in my face.

"IdreamedofthiscatwithstarsinherfurandshekeptcallingmeTwilightandshesaidsheismymothersoIthoughtmynameisTwilightandyeah." I blurted out, gulping for breath afterwards. The small brown tabby sat down thoughtfully, wrapping his tail around his white toes.

"Okay. that was quite _useful_ information," he snorted, "so your mother is a clan cat since she's in Starclan. And she gave you the name of Twilight. Is that correct?" I nodded and listened intensely. Saberpaw raised his head as a spotted tabby warrior shouted his name.

"Gotta go," he mumbled before padding towards his mentor and left the camp. I slumped back down and let Blueflame carry me back into the medicine den.

"Enough exercise for today, Twilight." I heard him mumble.

* * *

"You're warming up to that _rogue_?" Leopardfang snarled the last word out. I flinched,

"You think?" I shot back quietly while Leopardfang dug at the snow furiously. Astralflight must have ticked her off quite a bit.

"I don't know, okay?!" I sat down, staring up at the grey, snowing sky. My mentor glared at me before going to the huge outcropping of stone the clan called 'Viper's rock'. It just looked like a snake, not that it had snakes living under it. Probably.

"Crazy she-cat…" I muttered before shouting erupted from the fresh kill pile. The normal nonsense with Smalldust screaming about food problems, Foxscar's ongoing rant about his battle with the fox (this one is number five hundred and ten) and Tawnyclaw hitting on young she-cats. Tawnyclaw never gets anywhere without them.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Smalldust screamed as bits of chewed meat flew out of his mouth.

"Dude, it's a fricken' chipmunk. Chill."

"CHIPMUNKS DON'T BELONG IN THE FRESH-KILL PILL!"

"Well, it's still meat…"

"THIS ONE IS ALIVE, AND CRAPPING ALL OVER~"

"Shut it, pipsqueak." Cedarbreeze said with uncharacteristic ice in his voice, his face dark. Smalldust shut up though still angry.

"Ah, Saberpaw." Cedarbreeze said, the kindness returning to his voice, "I was looking for you." I wander closer to the medicine cat.

"Me? What for?" I asked, eyeing the three other cats around the fresh-kill pile nervously. Foxscar had snapped the chipmunk's neck, much Smalldust's delight.

"It's the new moon tonight." I cocked my head, slightly confused. Cedarbreeze continued, "The elusive 'Night Flower' blooms tonight."

I stared and Cederbreeze, who was chuckling, with a bewildered look on my face.

"Ummm, are you sure about that? After you know what?" I shifted around on my paws.

"Yes." Cedarbreeze said, "Meet me by the cave before sundown." with those last words, he turned and headed elsewhere.

And the medicine cat left me with the pile of food, two cats arguing, one flirting and the cold snow on the ground.

* * *

I flinched under pairs of eyes staring at me.

"Twilight!" Kestrelstar yelled on his boulder. I felt a nose nudged me to the front. I turned and saw Blueflame's encouraging eyes.

"Hurry up! Kestrelstar is calling your name!" He urged as the blue tortie warrior pushed me to the front. Kestrelstar jumped off his boulder and put his tail on me. I gulped as the leader turned towards me, his face became serious.

"Twilight. You are not clan born, your background is still unknown, and you are doubted by a lot of clanmates." I gulped as more glares turned to me.

"But you have shown great loyalty and lots of positivities in Stoneclan, and proved to be a lot of help for elders and medicine cats." Squirreltail and Dawnlight flickered their tails encouragingly while Moonpaw let out a loud cheer. I felt my claws sheath and some of the courage returned.

"Today, under Starclan's approval, you, Twilight, is named Twilightpaw. Blueflame. You had been a courageous and loyal young warrior, also an extremely good hunter, and I hope that you will pass down your skills to your new apprentice well." Blueflame's golden eyes gleamed at the mention of his name.

"I will," he said as the young warrior walked up and rested his muzzle on me. I didn't know what to do so I just licked his pink nose, hoping I was doing the right thing. Cats were cheering and shouting my new name.

"Twilightpaw! Twilightpaw! Twilightpaw!" I let out a relieved sigh as others joined in, and the whole clan is shouting out my new name.

"Twilightpaw!"

My paws almost gave out under me as I stumbled down to the clearing, mumbling replies at cats that went up and congratulated me. Blueflame stopped in my way.

"I'm taking you out just before your new den mates show you where your den is," he meowed kindly, "also don't forget to eat something before we go." and the blue tortie was gone. I lost the sense of direction before bumping into soft fur, yowling in surprise. A cat caught me by my scruff and pulled me back onto my paws.

"Thanks." I mumbled and found myself staring into Saberpaw's odd coloured eyes. A small tuxedo tom with light green eyes sneered at the sight of this and disappeared inside the apprentice den.

"Don't mind him," a pale brown tabby she-cat meowed cheerfully as her gray eyes gleamed with excitement, "he's just having a bad day." Saberpaw snorted and started to pad away.

"Ravenpaw's always having a bad day." and the brown tabby tom trotted away. My ears flopped and my tail dropped. _So much for having denmates._ I almost jumped when I felt someone whisper in my ear.

"Doesn't he look so cool to you?" meowed the pale brown tabby apprentice with a dreamy scent in her voice. I took a step away from her tail tangled with her own leg. _Definitely a fangirl._ I noted.

"Um, what's your name?" I asked, breaking the awkward silence. The pale tabby's ear pricked and her tail flew back into the air.

"I'm Tansypaw! And the grumpy one, also my littermate, is Ravenpaw! My other brother, Sparrowpaw, is a shy one, so don't ever expect him to start a conversation." Tansypaw meowed and nudged me into the apprentice den. Its wall was made of brambles and thickets weaved together, it's ceiling was made of long twigs and leaves that blocked rain and snow from getting the moss floor wet. Ravenpaw was sleeping in his den while Saberpaw was grunting as he managed to stuff soft moss and feathers into a new den.

"Great, my den is beside yours!" Tansypaw meowed happily before belly-flopping into a den beside mine, sending feathers and moss everywhere.

"Hey, I just cleaned this place!" Saberpaw shrieked, and he pounced on her. I left quietly as the two fought with sheathed claws, really needing a quiet place to stay. I spotted Blueflame at the fresh-kill pile, so I padded towards him. The blue tortie tom turned and let out an amused purr.

"I bet the whole camp can hear you grunting on the far side of our territory," he mewed. "Speaking of territories, it's time to show you around our very own!" and the blue tortie warrior was outside camp, yelling at me to come. I let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed a mice from the fresh-kill pile before padding out to join him.

 _My apprenticeship won't be boring with my kit-like mentor and weird denmates._ And I was on my way.

* * *

I huffed, leaving the apprentice dens behind me. That little scuffle with Tansypaw unnerved and enraged me a little. _Fangirls are scary…_ I shivered, thinking about the love-struck face of Tansypaw. Suddenly a cat mewed behind me, startling me.

"AH!" I jumped back in surprise just before Ravenpaw bounded in front of me.

"Hey, Saberpaw." He said cheerily, "Wanna spare?" I stared at him, jaw slightly agape.

"Ummm, no. I'm good." I said, trying to move past him. Ravenpaw just kept blocking my path, bouncing up and down while doing so.

"Come on, come on. Please?" He leaned in on the last word, forcing me to back up. I look up at the sun's position, finding it to be almost sundown.

"I have places to be, Ravenpaw." I said through gritted teeth, pushing past him.

"Hey!… Oh alright, I'll just find someone else then!" then he sprinted away. Watching the tuxedo apprentice being dragged away from the fresh-kill pile by his mentor, a strange feeling twisted my stomach. _It is so strange to see the bad-tempered and solely apprentice act so playful and welcoming._ I narrowed my eyes. _And… Suspiciously._ I added silently.

* * *

I looked around while staying in a crutch, scanning for prey. My tail tingled with excitement as I caught movement beside the patch of ferns a few tail-lengths away from me. I resumed my hunting position. It was a blackbird, pecking at the ground restlessly. I unsheathed my claws and took a deep breath. Then, quick as lightning, I lunged at the bird, who took flight instinctively and landed safely on a branch nearby, watching me with a mocking look. Frustrated, I let out a loud sigh, which caused another frustrated yowl not far away. A small red tabby tom walked out of the bushes.

"Can you not, Twilightpaw?!" yelled Smalldust, who bristled and pawed at the ground furiously with his white sock paws about the same size as mine. I shrugged, letting out a tiny mew of apology. The pissed warrior took another step closer with his short legs, and I shrank away from him, instantly noticing the quite significant height difference. _I'm half a head taller than him._ I blinked, remembering how Saberpaw had described him. _The angry pipsqueak._ An amused purr emerged from my throat, and it was too late before I realized that Smalldust is glaring at me.

"You think it's funny?! Huh, mouse-brained apprentice?" he screamed furiously, "YOU THINK BEING SMALL IS FUNNY?!" His amber eyes narrowed into slits, and his claws unsheathed. I bristled, wondering if the warrior will attack me. Panicking, I turned and tried to run away from the small red tabby tom. I ran midway to camp, pausing after recognizing the mews from a patrol whom just came out of StoneClan camp. _No, I can't let my new clanmates see me running away from an angry pipsqueak. It will ruin my whole reputation in camp!_ I swallowed and took a sharp turn towards the far end of StoneClan territory. _It's only my second day of being an apprentice, I can't let Kestrelstar and Blueflame down!_ I jumped across a stream, ran through a small section of the pine forest, and dashed out of the territory before tripping on a network of vines. The ground beneath my paws disappeared. I held my breath and…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" shrieked in total horror before falling into an abyss of darkness.

* * *

I munched on my thrush slowly, enjoying every bite of tasty fresh meat and the last bit of sunshine for the day. Tansypaw lay beside me with her hind legs stretched behind her and her forepaws folded protectively around her meal, her ringed tail twitching behind her. I rolled my eyes. _I can't believe I'm sharing fresh-kill with this mouse-brained cat._

"Stop acting like Rabbitleap!" I yelled, causing a bunch of curious glances landing on us two.

"Oops." I gulped. _Great, now the whole clan is going to gossip about me and Tansypaw._

"I finished my thrush," I announced to Tansypaw while pretending to yawn, "I need some sleep now, really." The pale brown tabby was too busy wolfing down her mice to notice my absence, so I slipped away from the feeding area and headed out camp.

"Where' you going, Saberpaw?" Briardawn, standing guard tonight, asked playfully. Seriously, Briardawn is pretty much one of the few normal cats in this messed-up clan. All the others were either mouse-brained, perverted, or just simply weird. Then I thought about Twilightpaw. _She's just in a totally different level._ I rolled my eyes.

"Going out to get some fresh air," I meowed as I nodded towards Tansypaw's direction, "Really." The handsome calico tom let out an amused _mrrow_ and gave me an _I-understand_ look and let me out. I gagged as soon as the camp is out of sight. _You better make me a best-actor-ever in warriors history, Starclan._

I huffed as I climbed out Moss Ridden Valley and headed towards the pine woods. As I entered the small section of pine trees, I slowed down to a halt and breathed in the fresh smell of pine, the dusk air, and something else. My muscles tensed, tail twitching nervously, I opened my mouth and sensed the air again. Squirrel. _Nope._ New leaf sprouted from twigs. _No…_ Fox dung. _Ew. No._ Hedgehog flesh?! _What the?!_ StoneClan! _Yes! That's it!_ I followed the scent across and shallow stream, over the pine woods, and halted at the edge of StoneClan territory.

Something was wrong. StoneClan's smell was mixing in with another one. I stared down into the chasm, where the foreign smell was coming from.

"Anyone down there?!" I shouted down the raven.

"Uhh, Achooo!" the sound of someone sneezing rung out from below.

"Auh, I'll take that as a yes." I said, looking for a way down. I soon spotted several outcroppings large enough to climb down with.

"It's so dusty in here!" I mentally cringe after hearing that because I now know who it was. Slowly hopping down the ledges, the smell of dust and fur grew stronger. Suddenly I slipped and fell. I screamed a little. Maybe a little more. Annnd I actually screamed the whole time during free-fall until I landed with a _splash_ and into deep water.

"WHAT THE GREAT STARCLAN DID YOU DO?!" I screamed as soon as I reached the surface, gasping for air. Two glowing dots stared back at me from the darkness.

"DAMMIT, TWILIGHTPAW!" I shouted with water dripping down my pelt, seeing the dots bounce around on the spot. Suddenly the bottom of the raven was lit up by orbs of light, pairs of them flickering on, revealing Twilight's soaked white coat, a perfectly round puddle of water, the fur and dust on the ground, and all the carvings on the walls.

"Oh, good StarClan…"

* * *

I sighed as a brown tabby tom came into view, his odd coloured eyes shone as the orbs of light passed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with a tired tone in my voice. The tabby tensed, then let out a furious hiss.

"WHAT IN STARCLAN ARE _YOU_ DOING HERE?!" He hissed angrily with his ears laid flat and his claws unsheathed. I wasn't, and won't be, scared this time.

"This is my home." I meowed calmly, "I grew up here." Saberpaw's eyes grew big and he bristled, circling me. I ignored him and observed the ancient carvings on the stone walls of this deep cave.

"So you were pretending you lost your memory this whole time," his hiss was so low that it almost became a growl, "you lied to me, to Moonpaw, to Kestrelstar, to Blueflame… You lied to everyone!"

"I didn't!" I protested, "I really didn't lie! I just remembered my childhood when I accidentally drank this water… And everything just flew into my mind." The brown tabby sat down, considering this.

"BUT HOW DID YOU FALL IN HERE ANYWAYS?!" He questioned. After I told him about this whole mess, Saberpaw was so pissed that I can see the smoke on top of his head. Wait, _smoke?!_

"You have SMOKE on top of your head!" I screamed. Saberpaw immediately jumped up and swung his head back and forth until he caught a trace of faded smoke.

"IS MY HEAD ON FIRE?!" He screamed. I sat down again, trying to ignore the shock and figure everything out. _So he is a Crystallic._ I felt my ears twitch while Saberpaw continues to scream and curse. _And he doesn't know how to use his crystal or even know about his Crystal's existence. That's quite interesting._

I looked down at the pool of calm, deep holy water, twinkling and shining under the orbs of light that swirled around this dark space. I stared and finally made out the outlines of my reflection. As I continued to look harder, my reflection stared back at me. I blinked and tried again, nurturing the power, forcing it to seep to the top.

Then it happened.

My white fur now shone with millions of tiny orbs of cold light in it, strange blood coloured frost started to creep in my left eye until my eyes glowed bloodthirsty red. Slowly, it formed into a beautiful shape of a blood coloured phoenix made of gems… Blood Zircon. My Crystal.

I looked up from the holy water and stared straight at Saberpaw who now stopped screaming and is busy getting water of out his pelt. _I need to see his Crystal._

"Saberpaw." I meowed, tail twitching when I realized my voice became hollower. The brown tabby looked up and immediately bristled.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHY IS YOUR LEFT EYE GLOWING RED BUT HOW'S YOUR EYE STILL BLUE BUT THERE'S LIKE A RED THINGY IN IT AND IT STILL GLOWS RED AND WHY IS IT GLOWING ANYWAYS?!" I couldn't bear it anymore. I flung myself at him and pinned him down, my flames flanked me, burning at least minus two hundred degrees cold. The brown tabby yowled in agony as his waving paws touched the tip of my flame. I immediately warmed up the temperature, but the poor apprentice still got a really bad frostbite.

A few seconds later Saberpaw managed to escape my grip, but I flung at him again, claws unsheathed. Icy red flames formed wherever my paws touched, I chased after Saberpaw. _I need to see your Crystal._

First symptoms always appear when your life is threatened, I just need to force his Crystal out. Finally, I grabbed his throat and pretended I was going to slit it open.

A gigantic wave of heat knocked me over and send me flying across the holy water, smashing on the wall. I couldn't breathe and my head hurts. Through blurry vision, Saberpaw stood with jagged icicles surrounding him. In his green eye, something was moving.

I narrowed my eyes and tried to let them focus. The thingy in his eye finally got to its final position and formed into an icy blue… Leviathan.

 _Aquamarine. Saberpaw's Crystal is Aquamarine!_

* * *

I, no, I should say my body, stared down at Twilightpaw. I was just a spirit floating beside whatever was possessing my body, unable to act or speak.

"Fool." he said, the word echoing throughout the cavern, "There are reasons the Gods did not speak of his power." Twilightpaw trembled on the spot, the fiery red falcon's form wavering.

"S-saberpaw?" She asked, almost pleading for an answer. 'I' smirked and took a step forward, luminant strips flaring.

"Young Crystallic, I am not your little friend." another step, "I am Sköll, Chaser of the Sun himself."

* * *

 **A/N:** yeet, ~Storm


	3. Heritage

Chapter 3

Heritage

The blue steam that enveloped Saberpaw took on a more canine appearance before falling back around his paws.

"My brethren will come with ill omen. Hati, my beloved brother, has fallen to the curse. One night, when the moon gleams a crimson red, Odin's mark will run rampant in your valley. Only He can save your petty lives now." with those words, the foreign light in Saberpaw's eyes vanished along with the strips and steam that cloaked his body. Saberpaw didn't recover immediately either, collapsing onto the ground in a heap. I sighed and settled down beside him, drifting into sleep. I'll figure out what to do after we all get to rest.

I was running across an endless field with the sun on my back, chasing after something. Though I don't know what it was, I enjoyed a run. Especially a comfortable one. The earth under my paws is soft and cloaked with spring grass, a slight breeze blew through my pelt, detangling and brushing my fur. The sky was an easy-going blue, and the air was drenched with wonderful smells of spring.

Before I realized something was wrong, the sky darkened and dark clouds gathered, brewing up a storm. The ground hardened and the grass turned sparse until there were only hard rocky grounds. I wanted to stop, I wanted to turn and go back to that dreamy place, but my body just kept running, chasing something. Finally, rain poured, lightning struck, but I was still running, fur soaking wet. The ground was plumped with rain, the water level kept rising. Finally, the water reached my chest. I had to keep my head up to not drown. But I was still running. In the clouded night sky, a bright full moon shone in the disastrous storm.

I blinked open my eyes and sat up, gasping for breath. The sky, way up there as a little circle, was grey and clouded. It was raining hard. I felt a tingling feeling in my paws, so I looked down to see me standing in ankle-high water and my paws and tail soaking wet. Realizing what had happened, I grabbed Saberpaw's scruff and hurdled him up on his paws so he wouldn't drown. The sleepy tabby jerked awake and batted my face with sheathed claws.

"What d'you wake me for?!" he yelled, "I was having a strange dream and there's a great chance of it being very very important and…" There was a long silence as the two of us stare at the water, stare at each other, water, each other, water… Finally, I coughed, breaking the long, awkward silence.

"We need to get out of here." I mewed, shaking water off my pelt. The water level is still raising under the non-stopping rain.

Together, we waded towards the higher slope. Suddenly the ground beneath me disappeared, unfortunately again, and I fell into bottomless waters. Dammit! The beeping holy water! Totally forgot about it!

Saberfang reached out his paws and I tried to grab onto it, desperately gasping for air. But the current pulled me down, and therefore swept Saberpaw in too. In the chaos, the apprentice got hold of my scruff and I felt his limbs moving, desperately trying to swim. But it was no use. I gave up on trying to swim to the top and grabbed onto Saberpaw. I felt the brown tabby tighten his grip on my scruff.

Together we sank, deeper and deeper. Darkness swallowed us and I lost consciousness. The last thing I saw was Saberpaw's glowing strips and his firm gaze. He was saying something. I couldn't hear. Then I made it out.

Never let me go.

***BTL***

Instincts are your friend when you don't know how something works. I forced myself down, the stripes on my body lighting up the path to Twilightpaw. I closed my jaws around her scruff and felt her paws wrap around my leg. It felt less annoying now that we were all going to die.

Suddenly, the water ended, dropping us on dry ground with the water floating above us.

"The heck?" I sputtered, looking around. A ring of crystals was present just below the water, seemingly holding it up. Twilightpaw was coughing up water, looking just as bewildered as I was.

"Ok, you owe me an explanation." I spat, going defensive after what happened. Twilightpaw just ignored me, instead she stared down the tunnel.

"Shh." was all she said before walking down the hole, the thick smell of wolves filling my nose.

"Hey!" I growled, "don't~"

"Shh!" and a fluffy tail hit my nose.

"Sorry," she whispered and continued forward. I gritted my teeth, pawing after her. The tunnel was dark. Even after a solid fifteen minutes of walking my eyes still couldn't seem to adapt.

"We're getting close," Twilightpaw warned, finally seeing the light at the end.

"Wolves." was what I answered.

***BTL***

I squeezed out of the narrow opening and closed my eyes under intense light. Slowly, I let my eyes open and adjust to the light while looking around. It was a wide, enclosed round space surrounded by extremely high rock walls. A crack between the cliffs! A beautiful waterfall streamed down off of one side into a tiny pool. Bushes clustered at the base of the cliffs while vines climbed the rocky walls. A giant boulder stood beside the waterfall, it's surface glittering under the starlight. The soft sand under my paws glittered light a million tiny stars, illuminating the space with soft starlight. I felt Saberpaw squeezed out behind me, pushing me to the side.

"This looks like a perfect camp. I could live here for a while, but not with those stinking wolf scents." He mumbled, hackles raised. I ignored him and padded towards the giant starlight boulder, feeling more and more at ease for footfall into the unbelievably soft sand.

"Twilightpaw!" Saberpaw yelled behind me, "you're not supposed to go in here! Can't you smell the wolves?!" he hissed angrily. I stopped at the pool and gazed warmly at the bristling brown tabby tom.

"Please, Saberpaw," I meowed stubbornly, "it's only going to take a moment." before kept padding forward, heading for the starlight boulder. Saberpaw continued to curse behind me, threatening to leave me here alone, but the brown tabby never complied his threats and flanked me to my destination.

I climbed onto the boulder and stared up at the twinkling night sky. A slight cold night breeze made me fluff out my fur and messed up Saberpaw's. The brown tabby didn't complain as he gazed up at the sky, too.

"I wonder which one is my brother." I heard him mumble. Saber never told me anything about his brother, but I heard he'd joined StarClan when he was only a kit. I buried my nose in his soft brown fur, breathing in his warm scent in the cold night breeze. It reminds me of my one and only brother. I breathed in again.

I started to hum unconsciously, only focusing on Saber's eyes. One green and one brown. Both filled with brilliant starlight.

"You have stars in your eyes," I meowed as I buried myself in his warm pelt. Saber tightened his tail around me in the cool night air.

"Mouse brain." I purred and then started to sing. It was an ancient, beautiful melody, one that I haven't heard of. It's about starry nights, peaceful dreams, and infinite love. As the brown tabby hummed the last notes, I pulled him in closer.

"We're infinite," I meowed quietly, earshot with embarrassment.

Saber only tugged me closer.

Suddenly I heard the third breathing sound, so I jumped back and almost fell down the boulder. Saberpaw grabbed my scruff just in time and pulled me up onto my paws again. I jerked my head around and saw a giant grey-pelted animal not even two tail-lengths away, it's wild golden eyes stared back at us. I felt my breathing stop.

"Wolf!"Saberpaw screeched and hurled himself at the wolf, but I dragged the apprentice back and nearly slipped down the boulder again.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Saberpaw screamed as he jerked around and faced me. I laid my ears back and unsheathed my claws.

"Don't you dare touch her, not even a single hair. Or else I'll shred you." I hissed. Saberpaw just stared at me, bristling. I flung myself at the wolf and buried my nose deep into her rich, pale grey pelt.

"Ech!" I meowed happily. Ech, the female grey wolf who's my foster mother laid down gently and let me climb all over her like a kit. I purred as she licked me with those giant tongues and stroked my fur with her gentle paws. Saberpaw just stood there, still in shock.

"Now, Twilight. Stop acting like a pup." The wolf hummed gently and sat up, "The others will be delighted to see you back." When she looked at Saberpaw, my muscles tensed, worrying that they would fight. But Ech just wagged her tail slowly, observing him.

"Hello, young one. My name is Echeveria," she said, her tail tip twitching rapidly. I tipped my head to one side in confusion. Is there something wrong with Saberpaw? The brown tabby just nodded stiffly, his odd coloured eyes showed awkwardness and alarm.

Just then, a clan of wolves streamed out of the bushes and raced towards me, yipping excitedly. I meowed in delight and jumped down the boulder to greet them. My family.

Saberpaw just stood there in shock while Echeveria watched him from behind, observing carefully. My ears twitched. Is there… Something odd about him?

***BTL***

Howls of delight rang out within the confines of the cave, all of the wolves making me feel alienated and afraid. Echeveria eyed me cautiously as if I were made of fire.

"I should leave…" I said, as neutral as possible, before getting up to leave. Echeveria didn't try and stop me, Twilight was too occupied to see me leave.

This is your family, not mine. This is your life, not the one I lost… I thought, slowly climbing up the steep cliff that led up to the crack.

I reached the top, clawing my way up, and headed back to camp. Wolfstep was the first out to greet me.

"You're the last to come back." he inquired, "Care to tell what happened?"

"No," I said, pushing past him and not bothering to look at his face. As I crossed the middle of the camp all the warriors stared at me and whispered to their clanmates. I ignored them and entered my den, curled up and fell asleep.

Falling. It's like flying, but the wind is coming from below you instead of in front. An eagle flew above me, a canine wearing a skull that had two long fangs jutting from the top jaw and a large shadow behind me. I was suddenly running on air, the three animals still in their places. The forest gave way to flat plains, then a savanna were prides of lions roamed. A sharp right led me to the mountains and where the snow leopards pawed their way through the snow. The shadow behind us grew bigger, soon swallowing all three of us whole. Into Nothingness

I bolted up from my spot in the den, the feeling of four warm bodies pressed against my pelt. When I turned to look there was no one there, the warm feeling simply vanishing.

The heck was that dream… I placed my head back onto my paws, not wanting to think about my brother or Twilight's wolven family. Skoll's message was also on that list.

I pawed my way out of the damp moss, pushing past the leaves that shielded the rain from leaking in. I dragged out a mouse from the waterlogged fresh-kill pile, picking at the meat. The sun wasn't even showing, no rays of light present in the sky. The camp was so quiet, so much in fact that I could hear someone approaching.

"You didn't show up, Saberpaw." Cedarbreeze said mournfully, "care to tell why?" he moved closer to me, still picking at the mouse meat.

"I fell down a hole," I said stiffly before continuing to eat. Cedarbreeze wasn't convinced by my explanation.

"What happened in that hole?" he inquired, sitting down.

"..." I turned away from his face, "Let's just say someone found their family."

***BTL***

I blinked, still dizzy from sleep. A trail of laughter is heard outside the bush den. I walked out, yawning, tail high behind me. A ruby female wolf with enthusiastic green eyes padded towards me, greeting me with an excited lick on the forehead. I washed it away with my front paw.

"Good morning, Vixen." I purred happily, my grey tail twitching amusingly behind me now.

"Morning, Twilight!" Vixen chirped, "Want to spare?" she asked, her snow-white muzzle getting in my face, sniffing. I didn't care to correct her. My mother gave me the name Twilight. I can be Twilight when I'm with the wolves and Twilightpaw with the clan cats.

"I need to wash first. Look at all those sand you got my fur!" I meowed half jokingly and started washing my ears with one forepaw. Watching the ruby female trial to another wolf, I purred. She was always so enthusiastic to everyone, willing to share food or offer help. Paw steps sounded behind me and I turned, surprised to see a snow white wolf with rare red eyes slipping out of the bush den, his cold gaze scanning the clearing under the morning sunlight leaking from the hole on top of us.

"Hey, looks like our lazy bug had just woken up!" I meowed amusingly and continued to spit sand out of my mouth while trying to clean the sand out of my pelt. The albino wolf didn't reply. He just sat down beside me and started helping me. I purred. Never expect Ghost to talk.

Ghost had been my best friend since birth. I remember us sneaking out and getting lost together in the tunnels and taken home by pissed off Chaparral, playing in the sand, and tricking Vixen into believing that ants are an important food source.

"Done." I turned and gazed into Ghost's red eyes. He looked away.

"Thanks," I muttered, surprised to find my pelt free from all the sand that Vixen had got into my thick white fur.

During the whole afternoon, I shared a beaver with Ghost and Vixen, explored new parts of the camp with Glaze leading and Ghost sticking behind me, and played with Yucca's newborn pup Liatris. As the sun begun to set, I snuggled against Ghost who shared the same den with me, my muzzle buried under his rich white fur. It was the happiest day I could remember since I mysteriously got lost and fainted in a cave. I remembered clan life, all my clanmates, and the Crystals. I buried my muzzle deeper into Ghost's soft fur, feeling his heartbeat against mine. My heart aches when I thought of Saberpaw. Saberpaw.

***BTL***

I met Wolfstep at the camp borders, the fog cloaking the ground in a layer of white. Not wet, just damp ground.

"Where is Twilightpaw." was his question, presented with a hateful undertone. I gritted my teeth,

"She's gone." I spat, "She's gone and never coming back." I choked the words out. Wolfstep was unconvinced.

"I want you to tell me what happened in that cave." the grey warrior ordered. But I gave him something else instead.

"I thought I found someone I could depend on, someone just like me with no family to look for, someone who I could sympathize with." I cried, staring at the wet dirt. "But that was not to be… and I'm alone again." Wolfstep stared at me, seemingly trying to find something to say.

"I never knew my mother... Never knew my father." I said between sobs, "Then my brother, my only family, died. I only lived because Kestralstar found me, half alive in a pool of ice water." I gathered all the energy I had left,

"Twilight can have her happy family!" I screamed at the ground, "And all I get, all I GET..." I choked on those words. Was the hope left shattered around me…

"... I'm sorry." was all Wolfstep had left to say as he watched me cry at all the loss and emptiness I carried.

* * *

 **Edit: Added some...Singing Cats™**


	4. Tragedy

**Chapter 4**

Tragedy

I trotted along the edge of the woods, the hard rocks under my paws gave way to soft spring grass, the wind greeting me with mouthfuls of fresh flower-scented air. I had been traveling from the wolf camp to clan territory since this morning. It was hard getting through the tunnels, and even harder trying to convince Ghost that I really needed to leave without him. I knew he needed me. But I knew someone else who needed me more than Ghost. _Saberpaw._

I took a deep breath, enjoying the last bits of sun shining on my back as I dived forward, heading for the moss ridden valley where Stoneclan's camp lay ahead. Suddenly I paused, scenting the air. _Skyclan._ The strong stink of Skyclan filled every inch of the woods and cliffs. I wrinkled my nose in disgust as I pawed at a small pile of soil and found a rotten squirrel.

"Why is Skyclan stealing and wasting Stoneclan prey?!" I snorted in disbelief.

"That's because we weren't. _Trespasser._ " A cat hissed behind me and I swirled around, finding myself facing a tan she-cat with long wavy fur, her hazel eyes burning with hate. My eyes widened as I spotted two more Skyclan cats flanking the tan she-cat. I backed away, hissing and bristling.

"Ambercreek is right. Why did you come here, apprentice?" a calico she-cat with black sock paws demanded, her ringed black tail wrapped around a white tom with gray ears, paws, and fluffy grey tail. I widened my eyes and stared at the Skyclan apprentice, feeling like I was staring into my own reflection. The tan she-cat, Ambercreek, seemed to notice the thing too. Her hazel eyes turned into slits as she glanced between me and the Skyclan apprentice, looking unsure of what to do. The calico she-cat seemed to have noticed too.

"What is this? Could you please explain, Duskpaw?" My eyes watered as I heard his name. _My brother's name._ But the white tom just looked surprised, then his gaze darkened. The calico warrior bent down to whisper in her apprentice's ear, and Duskpaw shook his head hesitantly.

"Dusk!" I cried, "Don't you remember me, Dusk? I'm your sister! We lived in a cave with wolves! Ghost and Vixen were our best friends! Don't you remember any of this?!"

Ambercreek just looked at me like I have a frog sticked to my forehead, and Duskpaw just looked lost.

"Who are you, Stoneclan spy? And what are you talking about?!" He demanded at last with a hint of threat in his voice. I stared at him in disbelief. _He's not believing me! I'm his own sister! Instead he'd believed in those mouse brained Skyclan warriors who don't know_ anything! I gritted my teeth and backed away a little more, then turned and ran. Footsteps pounded after me, but as soon I crossed the border the Skyclan cats stopped, their annoyed mumbles left behind by the wind in my ear fur.

By the time I pulled to a halt at the Stoneclan camp entrance, gasping for breath, it was way after sun down. The starlight showered me as I stalked into camp, greeted by the whole clan's shocked gaze. I paused, still panting. Kestrelstar was sitting on the high stone, looking as shocked as I am. Saberpaw was nowhere to be seen. I gulped.

"Uh. Hi." I meowed silently as the clan's shocked stares landed on me.

Chatter exploded in camp, every cat was talking now. _Great,_ my ears twitched, _I interrupted a clan meeting._ Blueflame squeezed through the crowd and stomped towards me, ears flat and teeth bared. I shifted my paws nervously. _Great. Now my mentor is going to yell at me and tell Kestrelstar not to give me a warrior name._ Anger burned in the blue tortie warrior's golden eyes. _I'm never going to become a warrior._ I clawed at the ground desperately as if it will change the whole situation.

"Twilightpaw!" he growled as the blue tortie stopped half a tail length in front of me. I closed my eyes desperately, imaging what kind of hateful words he will say to me. But instead I felt Blueflame's soft fur pressed against mine, his breath blowing into my ear fur. I blinked open my eyes in surprise.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! I was so worried about you!" he meowed, "Matter of factly, everyone thought you died!" His muzzle buried deeper into my fur, and I licked his ear in response.

"But I'm alive and I've returned." I mumbled. My ears twitched surprisingly as Dappledpelt squeezed in beside my mentor and licked my ears.

"We were all worried about you. Especially Blueflame. I thought he'd worry his whiskers off about you." She meowed amusingly, her dappled pelt pressed tightly against Blueflame's. My eyes turned into slits as I observed them carefully. _Had they become mates while I was away? So much can happen in two days._

"Where's Saberpaw? I _really_ need to talk to him." I meowed. Dappledpelt shrugged. I nodded at the two and turned, heading for the camp entrance. A dull orange tom blocked my way. I looked up from his brown toes to his firm, hazel eyes.

"Uh, hey, Kestrelstar." I meowed as quietly as I could. The Stoneclan leader kept quiet as he lead me to his den on top of the high rock.

"We need to talk." Meowed Kestrelstar sternly. _How can I find Saberpaw now?!_ I thought as dread swallowed me.

* * *

 _The skull wearing canine stared at me with blue glowing eyes, I stared back on the fields where we both stood. Then it opened its bone jaw, and rumbled,_

' _Tu Fui, ego eris' and we both dipped into the shadows._

I screamed, jerking up onto my paws. Last night's tears still clung to my face.

 _Tu fui, ego eris…_ I thought, stashing it into the back of my mind. I slowly cleaned my face, recalling the memories of Twilight's family, how I had snapped in front of Wolfstep then my encounter with a feral fox.

I glared at the fresh wounds that were carved into my back; fang marks and claws alike. It's dead caress stared at me blankly with those milky white eyes, fur still a bright orange despite all the blood covering it.

 _The clan will be looking for me by now_ I thought, picking at the dried grass, _it's the new day…_ I took a bit of the fox, swallowing it so I wouldn't taste it.

 _I wonder how long it will take for StoneClan to find me, this scent is different, but still clan-like._ I noted, taking in the mountain side air. _I never thought another clan was so close_

Suddenly, a blur jumped out of a nearby rock pile, the sound of snarling filled the air as it collided with me. As a reaction, I kicked the thing off, thinking it was another feral. But it wasn't.

A cat glared at me like I was the last thing it wanted to see.

"Another StoneClan warrior?!" He glared at me with familiar looking halo eyes, "I hope you're not here to insist that you're my sibling." He mocked, hitting an open wound he didn't know was there.

"Yeah, well, at least someone cares about you!" I snarled angry, catching the cat off guard, "I have NO ONE. SO BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE." And I charged, flipping him over and put an unsheathed paw over his chest, "Take this as a lesson for mocking your opponent when you know nothing about them!"

I released my hold on him, watching him run away, presumably to get a patrol on my tail. In that case I would move. And move I did, up the mountain side, away from the clans. It's not like losing one apprentice would be a huge deal. I'm not that important anyways, just an average apprentice with no special qualities. Just a run-of-the-mill warrior-wannabe.

* * *

I gulped nervously as Kestrelstar circled his tail and curled up comfortably in his fresh repaired mossy den, probably by an pissed off warrior doing an apprentice's duty while Saberpaw and I were absent and the other apprentices being lazy.

"Twilightpaw." Kestrelstar mewed, his stern gaze landing on me. I stood up and then sat down again, thinking of my awful future. An rogue apprentice who failed her clan, disappointed her family and unrecognised by her brother. _Who also hurted her friend's feelings and caused him to kill himself._ I let out a heavy sigh.

"Yes, Kestrelstar?" I started fiddling the pebbles under my paws.

"Pay attention, this is important." sighed the dull orange tabby before I jerked my head towards him, muscles tensed. _Is he going to kick me out of the clan?_

"I have only one question for you and you must answer _at this instant_." he meowed as I nodded my head, "can you tell me _where_ exactly have you been?!" I gulped again under Stoneclan leader's intense gaze. _I can't tell him about the wolves, he'll lead an attack patrol there! Or he'll just move to another territory! The wolves and I wanted peace!_ I felt my tail twitch unconsciously and I pressed my paw on it hard, trying to stop it.

"Uh, I've been… Figuring out things." I meowed, my voice shaking slightly. _You do realize you're not a good liar,_ I mewed to myself. Kestrelstar narrowed his gaze.

"What have you been thinking about? Is it so important that you have to leave your clan for _two days_?" he hissed. My muscles tensed and I nodded hesitantly. _Yes, it is very important. It determines my future_. The tabby's eyes turned into slits of hazel, and his tail started twitching with annoyance.

"Tell me, Twilightpaw. Tell me what you were thinking about in these past _two days_." Kestrelstar bit hard on the word 'two days', and it bothered me alot. I cleared my throat, wrapping my fluffy grey tail tip neatly around my toes.

"I met my old foster family," I declared, Kestrelstar's eyes widened but he kept quiet, "I stayed with them for a day, struggling between family love and my loyalty for this clan." Kestrelstar didn't wait for me to finish.

"So you chose loyalty." The leader's eyes shone. But I just stared at him.

"No, I didn't." I meowed. Kestrelstar's shocked gaze landed on me again, and I didn't wait for him to cut me off again.

"I chose both. There was a third option," I announced loudly, "and that is to keep serving this clan that saved me and I owe to, and continue to visit my family that I loved so much once a moon." Kestrelstar's eyes rounded and he bristled.

"I forbid you from doing so! You can't just wander off by yourself once a moon!" he snarled, anger seeping into his hazel gaze. I kept still, bursting out the words before the last piece of intellection milts in my mind.

"Then please, let them visit _us_." I meowed hopefully. I can see Kestrelstar considered this for a moment before he replied slowly.

"What about your clanmates? They won't stand rogues coming in and out of the camp." He replied with a cold tone in his voice.

"But they're not rogues!" I argued, "They're, they're…"

"Kittypets?" Kestrelstar suggested with a tone of disgust. I unsheathed my claws, the last piece of intellection shattering as anxiety and anger hit me, choking me.

"No! They're wolves!" I bursted out finally, unsheathing my claws. The dull orange tabby bristled as his eyes rounded like a pair of hazel full moons.

"WOLVES?!"

* * *

All the of the StoneClan scent I cared faded away after my trip over the mountain. Four days of walking, hunting and doubting myself drew those four days long and tiring. Snow and wind made me reconsider my ideals and choices I've made, or cling on to them even more. Only on the fifth day did I see green again.

 _I was wondering when we'd see plants again_ _._ Levin, my personified gem said, his light blue crystalline body whirling around me.

"Shut up." Was my reply, heavy coated with bitterness.

 _Come on, Saber! Lighten the mood a bit! No need to be so gloomy_ _._ He said, flying in front to face me as I continued down the slope towards the trees, a playful grin on his reptile-like lips.

"I don't do well with betrayal!" I snapped, growling at him to shut up.

 _Alright then, suit yourself_ _!_ Levin melted into a puddle of water.

I skidded down the rest of the slope, immediately looking for food. A chipmunk and a sparrow was the meal of the day compared to the scarce food in the mountain top.

' _New Clan scent, not like I cared or anything. They'll probably think I'm a rogue or loner. Never thought a clan could be on the other side of the mountain though._ ' I thought while observing the forest. Voices echo within the trees talking about herbs and prey. The usual for clan cats.

I avoid them as much as possible, staying up in the trees and looking down on the two passing cats.

"What do the new herbs do, Jayfeather?" Jayfeather's probably the medicine cat.

"Those Twoleg things?" Jayfeather replied, "They cause Cancer."

"Oh, um, ok." the other cat was pretty confused about Jayfeather's answer, and I was too.

After a little bit of traveling and scouting, I had figured out about the clans that lived beside this lake. There's Thunderclan who eats squirrels and lived in forests; Riverclan, nasty fish eaters but strong swimmers; Shadowclan who loves starting a fight and eating toads; Windclan, skinny apprentice looking cats who can run really fast and catch rabbits as prey. I twitched my ears. Night was falling, revealing a brilliant full moon in all its glory.

 _I guess it's that time...with the Pyre and all that._ I thought as I looked up at the sky full of stars, reminding me of the pelts of all the StarClan cats.

 _My brother wasn't there… Then where could he be? Here in the territories of the Four Clans?_

A tiny sliver of Hope invaded my mind, a mind so clouded with betrayal and emptiness.

* * *

I flattened my ears and tucked my tail between my hind legs, heading to the apprentice's den as the late Newleaf wind brushed past my pelt. Kestrelstar had refused my suggestion and I was grounded, assigned to find fleas out of the elder's pelts. I sighed. _Why can't the Stoneclan leader get a piece of mind?!_

"Twilightpaw! Your back!" A cat's excited voice came from the apprentice den. I found myself staring at Tansypaw standing at the den entrance, happiness sparkling in her clear grey eyes. I let myself relax and purred when the pale brown tabby she-cat came running, rubbing her head against my shoulders. Just then, a sharp meow ruined the moment. Ravenpaw appeared from the apprentice den with Sparrowpaw flanking him. The tuxedo apprentice's pelt was fluffed out in the cold night breeze, a sneer flashed in his light green eyes.

"I see the rogue had came back." he hissed. I bristled, claws unsheathed.

"Can you stop being such a mouse brained kit and move your fat lazy butt so I can squeeze in?" I hissed. Anger sparkled in Ravenpaw's eyes, he flexed his claws, digging them deep into the ground.

"Say that again and I'll _shred_ you, homeless kittypet!" He spat. Sparrow shifted his paws nervously while Tansypaw looks torn apart by her loyalty to her friend and the affection for her brother. I can hear the blood roaring in my ears, my tail swished back and forth behind me, and I unsheathed my claws, ready to strike.

Just then a patrol sprinted in from the entrance, their faces panicked.

"We can't find Saberpaw anywhere, and we scented Skyclan on our territory!" Hailwing shrieked, panic seeping from her trembling voice.

"Did they _kidnap_ Saberpaw?" Foxscar yelled before returning to his conversation with Heathercloud.

"Those fox hearts will do anything to prove themselves stronger than us!" Rabbitleap hissed, his dark brown tabby fur bristled in fury. I turned and stared at my clanmates in horror, my paws glued to the ground in shock. _No! He can't be! Saber can't be missing!_

Kestrelstar padded out his den and leaped onto the high rock, calling and scanning for his senior warriors. Wolfstep stalked out of the warriors den with Poppysplash, and Briardawn on his tail. Leopardfang flanked Snakestem as the sisters grunted, retreating from their meal and headed for the meeting hollow under the high rock where Kestrelstar and Astralflight sat. Bristlefoot padded out the dirt place while Bircloud trotted towards the meeting hollow, eyes still shining from playing with the kits. All the other warriors started talking, the elders sighed and some cussed about mouse brained apprentices and fox hearted Skyclan warriors. The queens hugged their kits nervously, tight enough to make them squirm.

My muscles tensed at all the senior warriors gathered at the meeting hollow and started talking in a low voice. Dread swallowed me. It was all my fault that Saberpaw was upset and kidnapped by Skyclan.

 _Where are you now, Saberpaw?!_

* * *

Rage pulsed through me as I glared at the Thunderclan patrol, claws unsheathed. A reddish tabby tom and a long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly circled me, their eyes flashing with rage. The rest of the Thunderclan border patrol, a golden brown tabby tom and a white she-cat with ginger patches and half of her face missing, was rather calm despite the fact that their two clanmate's outraged.

"What do you want, _trespasser?!_ " The reddish tabby tom hissed into my face, his muzzle a mouse length away from my face. I hissed back and bared my teeth to him.

"Foxleap! Get back here!" the golden brown tabby warrior demanded a fox length away, bristling. The reddish tabby tom apparently known as Foxleap, let out a frustrated snort and returned to his clanmates. The half-faced she-cat padded slowly towards me, her single blue eye shone with warmth. I let myself back down a bit, still alert.

"What do you want?!" I hissed. The long-legged black tom bristled, shouting on and on about me being an intruder. But the half-faced she-cat ignored her clanmate and stopped a few tail lengths away, flickering her tail. _Probably signalling her clanmates to surround me while she stands here trying to fool me,_ I snorted.

"Hello. My name is Brightheart," she meowed softly as if speaking to a scared kit, "This is Brackenfur, the golden brown tabby. There's the brown bellied Spiderleg, and finally Foxleap." My eyes turned into slits, tail swishing impatiently behind me.

"Well, we just want you to know that this is Thunderclan territory, and if you cross the border…" I didn't wait for her to finish.

"Your border patrols will shred me." I meowed matter-of-factly. Brightheart and Brackenfur's eyes widened while Spiderleg and Foxleap exchanged suspicious looks.

"I didn't know that you spied on us for so long," hissed Foxleap.

"And that's because you are simply a stupid, mouse brained cat." I snorted and walked away, leaving the Thunderclan border patrol opened mouthed and wide eyed.

"He just used a Thunderclan insult!" I heard Spiderleg exclaim before I squeezed through a thorned bush and entered into Windclan territory.

 _Thunderclan cannot stop me from finding my brother._ I thought stubbornly and let my nose be filled with the scent of heather.

 _I'll find you, and bring you back with me. No matter what it takes._

* * *

 **A/N** : ...I gots a favourite. I'm over the flippin MOON about that! I just don't pm people, I might pm back, but not to. Sorry~

Reviews are welcome, even if it's just to say hi or something... I guess I'll answer questions if u ask them? I'll try to at least. ~Storm


	5. Conflicts

**Chapter 5**

Conflicts

I stared at the empty nest beside mine and sighed.

"What's the matter, Twilightpaw?" A pair of glowing grey eyes blinked at the other side of the den.

"It's Saberpaw. Still no sign of him." I sighed heavily. Tansypaw nudged me with her pink nose, sympathy flashing in her eyes.

"Everybody is as worried as you, Twilightpaw," she mewed softly, "he is going to be okay." I glared at her, unsheathing my claws.

"NO, HE IS NOT! HE'S NOT OKAY! HE'S GOING TO STARVE HE'S GONNA GET CAUGHT BY TWO LEGS HE'S GONNA GET HIT BY A MONSTER HE'S GONNA, HE'S GONNA KILL HIMSELF!" I hissed, letting out my Crystal that had been suppressed for so long. I felt my one eye turn red and freezing flames started to burn around me.

Tansypaw gasped and backed away from me, I felt Sparrowpaw stirred in his den and Ravenpaw turned in their sleep. _They are going to wake up and find out about my Crystal._

 _Who are these cats?_ A hollow voice spoke in my mind. I rolled my eyes. It's my annoying and very childish lifelong companion and friend, the Crystal of extreme evilness and death, Zircon.

 _Shut up, angry bird._ I yelled silently. _Get me out of here. NOW._ My ears flickered in annoyance as I calmed down and Zircon started to mumble something while he put Tansypaw to sleep and erase her memory of me being a total freak. I stalked out of my den and snuck out camp entrance.

 _You're lucky that dumb-ass pipsqueak is guarding this camp tonight._ Snorted Zircon. I rolled my eyes.

"Stop commenting about Smalldust, and lead me to Saberpaw. Or else no semi-Crystals tonight." I threatened.

"Let me catch his scent first!" Complained the Crystal.

Semi-Crystals are rocks or other substances that was halfway through their process of becoming a Crystal. They are most Crystal's favorite food, except Zircon, who likes killing other Crystallics and sucking their power and turning it into his. I rolled my eyes again. _Mouse brained Demogorgon._

Zircon led me up and over the mountains. By the time we reached the lake, which was four days later, I was exhausted.

 _Say… I just detected four other Clans living here._ Zircon chirped happily one morning, _They're Thunderclan, Riverclan, Windclan and Shadowclan. I like Shadowclan because they're like me, but I despise their food… Who eats toads?! Ew._ I blinked open my eyes and stared at him. Standing right in front of me was a gigantic phoenix, it's wings and claws burning cold red flames as it's gorgeous feathered nine tails swung back and forth in excitement.

"Can you please, please, please TURN SMALLER?! YOU'RE GOING TO SCARE EVERY THING TO DEATH AROUND THIS LAKE!" I growled. Zircon the phoenix whimpered and blurred, when he appeared again he was the size of a fox.

 _There. YOU HAPPY?!_ Zircon yelled. I flinched.

"Sorry, I was just having a bad morning. AND speaking the truth, you were _too_ big." I explained while I wolfed down a squirrel and Zircon wolfed down a semi-Crystal, humming and wagging his tails like a dog. I rolled my eyes. The warm winds of new leaf streamed through my fur. My eyes narrowed into slits, enjoying the last bits of Newleaf scents. Worried built up in my chest, suffocating me.

 _Are you still alive and well, Saber?_

***h***

I perched on a tree, overlooking the Clan cat's little meeting as they discussed their problems on friendly terms, unlike StoneClan's relationship with Skyclan.

ThunderClan's leader, a fire orange tom aptly named Firestar, had stated his worries about me being around and possibly spying for a rogue faction. All the other ThunderClan cats behind him look around wearily, as though they had just moved here, or to look out for me.

WindClan had pretty much the same problem as ThunderClan, stating that it is distressing to them that a young Loner that just appeared, could catch rabbits, saying that they had to have had training somewhere.

The whole gathering was just the four leader rambling about their border, me, and the upcoming Leafbare season. Disinterested, I stared at the several hawks circling above the chattering Clan cats. I noticed the intelligence in their eyes, one of them flashing with energy every so often, as if they didn't have control over their form and had to concentrate to stay like that.

 _Weird Birds…_ Levin dutifully noted, scaring the crap out of me enough to make me yelp and catch all the Clan cat's attention. All of them stared in disbelief at Levin's shiny blue body, crystalline scales catching Starlight.

"Nice move, Levin." I hissed, leaping off the tree as shouts of outrage rang out behind me.

 _No problem!_ His optimism sickening me as I sprinted out the woods and jumped into the water, Levin dissipating into a cloud of steam as I swam to shore.

"It's that Loner!" Cries of disbelief and the snapping of thin twigs faded as I ran back into the forest.

 _Now they're going to talk about a Loner swimming as well as catching WindClan's prey plus the tree climbing._ I grimmly thought as I hid inside a hollow tree, waiting out the heat. That is, until one of the hawks from before landed inside the tree hollow with me, staring at me intently.

"What are you doing here, Crystallic?"

****h**

As night fell and the moon rose, I heard cats talking. A _bunch_ of cats. I followed their voices to an island. A humongous stink swallowed me, I had to force myself not to sneeze.

 _The four clans are gathered here._ I realized. _Are they going to fight?_

I climbed on a tree and settled down on one of the branches, hidden from view. Four cats leaped onto the branches of a great tree while four cats gathered at the root of the tree and cats who have herb scents on their pelt gathered at the root, too, while the others crowded the clearing.

 _I guess the leaders stay on the branch while deputies and medicine cats stay at the root._

"Thunderclan is well-fed. Though some loner went wandering around our territory, and our patrol chased him off." Announced a fire orange tom perching on a branch. A lean, mottled, light brown tabby tom beside him gave him a weird look, and spoke.

"The scent of greenleaf had brought the promise of new kits. Swallowtail is expecting kits. We, had _also_ spotted a loner in our territory." The Windclan leader almost spat out the 'also', clearly blaming Thunderclan for the cause. My heart leaped.

 _Could this 'loner' be Saberpaw?_

 _Possibly._ Squawked Zircon. I just ignored him and kept on listening to this gathering, trying to sort out clues.

"We chased him out of clan territory. He must of wandered back into WindClan territory, Onestar," the fire orange tom pointed out. Onestar, the Windclan leader, eyes narrowed into amber slits but did not reply.

"There are lots of fishes in the rivers, and our clan is well fed, too." A spotted golden tabby she-cat, apparently named Leopardstar, meowed confidently and nodded towards the other leaders. _She acts kind of like Kestrelstar._

A large white tom with huge jet-black paws stepped up, his tail high up above him. He scanned the clearing and the leaders behind him with a disdain look. Onestar seemed annoyed, his tail twitching impatiently. But the Thunderclan leader and the Riverclan leader seemed used to the Shadowclan leader's arrogance.

"Shadowclan territory is free of any loners. Our clan is well fed and ready to face _any_ prey-stealer," he hissed. The leaders nodded to each other and leaped down the branch. Deputies started exchanging polite greetings while medicine cats started talking about tansies and dandelions. The cats in the clearing shuffled and the buzz of chatter reached me.

 _These cats make_ lots _of noises._ Zircon stated while taking shape again.

"Can you not?!" I hissed, "the cats are going to see you!" But Zircon didn't reply. The phoenix's blazing golden eyes stared intently at something, clawing the ground impatiently as if he wanted to battle. I turned and saw a gigantic leviathan lingering in the air above me, and disappeared in a _poof_. My mouth fell open.

 _I think we've found our target._ Zircon hissed. I opened my mouth and tasted the air. A familiar scent drenched me.

 _It's Saberpaw._

***h***

I sat there, dumbfounded. A Hawk, snatcher of kits, talking to me with a voice akin to a leader's speech.

"The Powerless are looking for you." It remarked, looking outside the hollow as thunderous snarls and wails echoed around us.

"And another Crystallic," it's pitch black eyes seem to be coated in red for a moment, "this is Shifter territory."

"What do you want from me?" I growled, clawing at the tree as it was a tight squeeze to get in. It turned around to face me again, wings spread to block out the moonlight seeping in. I had to flare my strips to see anything.

"For you to leave our lands," it hummed with power as it spoke, as if to charge an attack.

"I'm not leave without my brother!" I hissed, "Not without Blaze!" The hawk flinched at Blaze's name, as though it held power.

"Leader Blaze has no brothers," it stated, absentmindedly gritting its beak.

"Well, I want to have a little chat with that 'Leader' of your's." I spat, flexing my claws, sinking them into the wood.

"A Great Shifter like him will never listen to a low-life like You!" it hissed, much like a cat, wings raising higher, chest feather puffing out and red eyes flashing. I almost flew into a rage, almost. A powerful force dragged me out of my body, just like that time… he's back.

"Munin, you know better then to threaten powers beyond your talons." My head hung low, stripe waning.

"...Skoll, you TRAITOR." it's face swiftly twisting in angry and betrayal, "YOU and HATI could've ruled the world! But no, YOU couldn't hold on to your hatred for him and DIED, Falling off that cliff and not spreading your skin!" Skoll winced at the mention of his death but otherwise showed no emotion.

"I am no traitor, I am not blind of my actions." he sighed, slowly spilling out the words through tired lungs, "it is you who are blind, as Odin binds you to his cause. A tribe that brings death in their wake and hunger for all land before them." Munin, leaped forward, talons brandished and basically howling with uncapped fury.

"Hati is no brother of mine, he is but a shadow of his former glory, a meer pawn in Odin's little game." A pillar of ice erupted from the wood floor, splinters of plant matter flying every which way as Munin was blasted out of the tree, wings possibly broken.

"And you and your brother are no different." Skoll sighed, collapsing onto the wood as my vision darkened and faded to nothing. The shimmering stars dimming, flickering and wavering out one last message.

"Indeed, just pawns in a game of galactic chess."

***h***

Through faint moonlight, I spotted Saberpaw as he jumped into the water and sawn to shore, disappearing into the night as the four clans chased him. I noticed that only Riverclan jumped into the water while other cats from other clans looked hesitant and confused.

 _Looks like he and his dumb Crystal got away safely._ Zircon noted.

 _Now that we see he is safe, let's go back to Stoneclan and rest for a week or two. I'm tired._ He chirped. I clawed at the ground, muscles tensing at the weird scents coming from that forest. Four eagles circled the clearing, making me really uncomfortable, but the clan cats seemed used to it.

"We still need to _escort_ him back to Stoneclan. These weird eagles are making me sick." I meowed as I leaped from the bush and jumped into the water, shocking the lakeside cats once more. As my paws pushed harder in the freezing water, I heard cats jumping into the water behind me, only a few tail lengths away.

"Zircon! Can you at least give me a wing?! These Riverclan cats are good at swimming so they'll catch me like catching a fish!" I shouted as Saberpaw's thumping footsteps slowly faded away and the cats behind me are decreasing the distance between us.

 _Well excuse me, miss little-bossy-know-it-all, I'm dealing with the rest of these beeping shifters. Will you PLEASE give me a moment?!_ Zircon shot back.

 _Shifters! I knew these eagles aren't just ordinary kit-snatchers. And that weird smell of this forest. We're in Shifter territory!_ Warmth spread in my spine as I ran, and a sudden piercing shoulder pain nearly caused me to faint. I bit back my howl of agony and continued the run as the pain eased. Something heavy hang at my sides now. _Wings._

"Sorry, but could you make these things cause a lot less pain? Cause it hurts!" I complained as I sailed into the night sky, flaming eyes scanning the ground underneath for suspicious figures. I sealed my eyes shut as a blazing phoenix caught up, flanking me in the flight.

"Braggy Crystal," I sighed as my eyes adjusted to the brightness.

 _Low-key Crystallic._ Zircon sighed as his feathers shone brighter. I didn't have time to reply as a group of eagles dove towards a fuzzy brown tabby way down on the forest floor. _Saberpaw is in danger!_

"Dammit!" I cried before dropping down on one of the eagle and snapping its neck by surprise. It blurred and turned into a pale grey cat before falling from the sky, landing with a soft muffled sound, blood seeped from a deep bite on the tom's neck.

"I knew it!" I shouted before jumping onto the next eagle, dodging it's claws as my teeth found its way into it's spine. The eagle didn't even have time to shriek before it blurred and turned into a dark brown spotted tabby and fell from the sky like it's companion.

"Evil Shifters!" I growled as warm blood soaked my pelt and all three Shifters lost their uncherished, stupid lives. I landed on a branch softly and watched Saberpaw safely get into a hollow without noticing my presence. Zircon had returned to my mind, where he usually rests and be a couch potato, had sensed weird things.

 _A shifter ran just before you saw those eagles. He headed your odd eyed friend's way._ he reported with a casualty in his voice. Rage pulsed through me as I took off again, shooting towards Saberpaw's resting place.

"Why didn't you tell me before?!" I hissed.

 _That's because you didn't have time to_ listen _to your old friend?!_ He hissed back. I landed a mouse length away from the hollow and peered in. Saberpaw was sound asleep, watching his chest rise and fall, I let out a relieved sigh and squeezed in beside him, giving warmth. Zircon was silent, probably watching memory TV again.

 _It feels so good to be with you again,_ and I drifted into sleep.

**h****

 _I meet Skoll on top of a bloody hillside. Bodies, cat and wolf alike, were strewn and mauled as far as the eye could see across it. I gagged at the blood, the green grass under it, and all the death that filtered through my nose as all of it was bathed under a Crimson moon. Skoll, his wolf fur being thrashed around by the wind, looked at me with his scar-streaked blue eyes and spoke._

" _I see you have followed me." He said, smiling sadly, "This place is my deathbed." he gestured at the ravine just beyond the hill._

" _You fell down there." I said flatly, slowly walking up next to him._

" _Yes, I did." he said coldly, "Three thousand years ago, I did." before I was able to react or reply, the landscape faded away, warping as it did so. And everything returned to nothing, nothing but the feeling of sorrow and foreign regret._

****h**

 _I woke to a sickening feeling in my stomach. When my eyes blinked open, shock gripped me. I was lying on blood soaked grass with thousands of mauled bodies strewn across the bloody hills. The crimson moonlight light up a path to two figures. One wolf, one cat, standing next to a ravine that stretched as far as the eyes could see on either side and was so deep that as pitch black, a rock can't even making a sound as it fell down it._

 _I caught words of the two figure's conversation,_

" _I see-follow-place-deathbed." then the wolf looked down at the scar on the earth._

" _Fell-there." the cat approached, red streaked fur waving in the wind. He reminded me of Saber, but he smelled different._

" _Did-thousand-ago-I-d~." the wolf said, almost crying. But it stopped there, the world quickly plunged into nothingness as I suddenly_ woke up.

I was shaking.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I buried my nose into Saberpaw's soft fur again. The brown tabby was shaking, his claws were flexing as if he was having a really bad dream. I licked his ears, trying to wake him up.

"Hey," I meowed softly, "wake up, stupid furball." Saberpaw's tail twitched before he opened his eyes. Just then he jumped up and power streamed through him, his left eye blazing with a mist of blue, his stripes illuminated the hollow. I bumped my head as I jumped in surprise, hackles raised.

"Hey Saberpaw! Calm down, it's me, Twilightpaw!" I explained, trying to calm him down. He looked outrages for a second, then the mist cleared in his eyes and he sheathed his claws.

"Why are you here?! You should be with your family," he meowed coldy and turned, leaping down from the hollow. I stared at him in disbelief.

"I spent four days trying to find you, worried sick that something is going to happen to you, and now you're just gonna make me go home?!" The brown tabby's eyes narrowed.

"Which home? StoneClan or your wolf camp home?" there was coldness in his voice as he turned and stalked away.

"Whichever one you choose, it no longer matters to me." he hissed. Tears of despair rolled down my cheeks, words of anger bursted out my mouth,

"Yes, I know you didn't have a family, I know you're upset, but you can't turn away the last cat that cares for you!" Saberpaw took a sharp turn and sprang at me, teeth bared, claws unsheathed. I flinched. _I didn't mean to start a fight!_

 _But it doesn't quite matter right now, he's attacking you. Want any help?_ Zircon offered. I crouched on the branch, narrowly dodging Saberpaw's angry blow.

"Don't you wolf breath comment about how I am going to live _my_ life!" He growled, landed on a branch next to mine.

"You have NO right because YOU'RE NOT EVEN A FRIEND TO ME!" he growled and pounced on me. I let out a howl of agony as his unsheathed claws dug into raw flesh. Outraged, I shook him off and swung my claws at him furiously, nearly forcing the brown tabby off the branch. Red mist had covered my vision, and the only thing in my mind was: _kill,kill,kill_. I let my teeth sink in Saberpaw's scruff, enjoying the taste of blood rushing into my mouth.

In Saberpaw's rounded eyes, I saw my reflection; one eye burning red, hackles raised, blood splattered around my muzzle. The red mist cleared from my vision and I stood there, stunned.

 _I didn't want to to this! What happened?!_

Saberpaw's eyes hung half close, blood seeping from his pelt. My heart skipped a beat and I couldn't seem to breath.

 _I didn't want to kill Saber! I didn't! I really didn't! What had happened to me?!_ I stood there, and gave a long, desolate howl. A _wolf's_ howl.


	6. Discovery

**Chapter 6**

Discovery

I laid there, bleeding out on the grass, vision fuzzy with pain and exhaustion. Twilightpaw sat there, howling at the full moon. I shifted a little, just enough to see a masked canine standing behind her, smoke-like fur wisping off of him. Suddenly, we were on plain of white, the trees still there and casting shadows onto the flat surface that once was the uneven dirt ground.

"You are dying." he remarked, skull clattering as he talked. I coughed out some blood,

"Indeed I am, smart ass." I said sarcastically, still laying on the impossibly white ground, now just a little coated in crimson. An eagle landed just after I said that, settling down next to the skull wearing canine.

"Panic." was all it said, "panic and live a bit longer."

"No," I turned my head, "I'm long dead already."

"I am your intelligence, your wisdom and cunning." The masked canine spoke, "That is your instincts, your gut feeling and your internal compass." the eagle jumped around, not listening to our conversation.

"I thought there were three demons." I said, the blood on the ground staining my fur.

"There are your emotions, who has grown out of control." my subconscious mind said, "They are not here, not yet."

"Not, yet?" I coughed again.

"Soon, they will be." a rumbling sound took over the whole forest, shaking the trees to the root planted deep into the white floor.

"And they have arrived." the masked canine looked up at the chalk-white sky, waiting for something to fall.

"Coming, coming." the eagle cried, flying up then landing again, the look of fear in its pitch-black eyes. A black shadow descended upon us, a wave of heat washing over my fur and wounds.

"Your emotions took on a form of a dragon." the skull wearing dog said, "and it seeks revenge."

A mighty roar emitted from the shadow, the darkness cloaking it peeled away revealing a gold scaled dragon covered in blood and snarling.

"I seek brother!" and a wave of heat brought me back to reality. Only it was different, for Twilightpaw was beneath a scaled talon, cream white fur charred an ugly black and blood pouring out from a wound on her head. Then an ear-deafening roar wrenched its way out of my throat, and I realized what was wrong; I _was_ the dragon, for I was pinning her down onto the blood-stained ground. I was a Shifter, a creature that brought ruin upon all who opposed it. And worse of all, I wanted Twilightpaw _dead_.

***BTL***

My vision blurred as a sharp pain stabbed me, nearly causing me to faint in agony. I felt dizzy, and my limbs were limp and sprayed uselessly around me in weird angles. I tried to lift my paw up to defend myself, but a stabbing pain nearly caused me to blackout.

 _All my limbs are broken._ I realized in horror. A freezing wind blew upon me, and I looked up. A blazing dragon stood on top of me, claws digging deep into my flesh. My body threatened to give up, my breath was shallow, my eyelids were heavy with the weight of death.

 _But you mustn't give up._ I let myself relax a bit at the comforting sound of Zircon. The dragon closed its grip on me, I felt the weight of death again.

 _I'm sorry Zircon, but I can't stand it anymore…_ The dragon closed its teeth around my neck. I tried to gasp for air, but there just couldn't be enough to fill my lungs. Dread washed over me.

 _I deserve to die, but Zircon doesn't!_ Crystals and Crystallics share a life, and if one dies, the other can't live, too.

 _I'm sorry, Zircon…_ I closed my eyes as the sound of a bone cracking open split the air. As my eyes closed slowly, I saw the eyes of the dragon.

The left eye was green, and the right one was brown.

 _I'm sorry..._

***BTL***

 _No,no,no,no._ I backed away in shock, back hitting a tree. _No, no, no. I was supposed to scare her away…_ My form shrank away as fear gripped my heart, shaking it around as its captive and bargain piece. I put both front limbs onto my head, now hard as bone, and panicked as I watched Twilightpaw bleed onto the dirt.

 _I-I have to do something…_ I got back onto four legs, taking shaky steps toward the blood-soaked body, little wisps of smoke leaving my body as I went. Levin was oddly absent as I scanned Twilight's wounds, her forehead, the broken limbs and the gash on her stomach.

 _What do I do? What do I do?_ I started to panic again, my teeth making clicking sounds as they did.

 _ **Let me take hold, child.**_ A voice howled, Skoll if I were to guess, _**I can save her, Let me take hold.**_

'Fine.' and my paws move on their own, clawing lines into the bloody mud. Soon, but not too late, a circle was formed from the muck and runes of some type were there too, surrounding Twilight's body.

 _ **It's ready**_. The voice stated as soon as green light poured from the lines, engulfing the clearing with it. Then it was all gone, not a wisp of the light, only a non-bleeding Twilightpaw.

The skull on my face vanished my mussel back along with my pelt and wounds.

 _All the lives I ruined, did she have to go with me? To this hole of despair?_

***BTL***

 _I blinked, confused. The ground under me is soft with dark purple and black wool-like materials, there was a strong wind going, the air tasted strangely bittersweet, and darkening clouds loomed above me, foreshadowing a terrible storm._

 _Then it came._

 _Rain went pouring down the sky, the wind howling with rage, and lightning flashed a fox length away from me. I bolted up in horror._

 _The wind continued to scream in my ears, making a screeching sound. The purple-black plain looked endless, dread weighted my paws as footsteps thumped behind me. I looked behind me, and there in the absolute darkness, a pair of glowing eyes stared back at me._

 _The left eye was green, and the right eye was brown. They both burned with hate. I sped up and soon the footsteps faded, and the storm gradually melted away._

 _I looked up at the lightening purple-grey sky, at the fading black clouds and the stars beyond. The stars. Suddenly I felt soft fur brushing against mine from both sides. Two cats had flanked me._

 _I looked to my left. A pair of haloed blue eyes loomed with something I cannot understand, something uncomfortable. I turned to my right side, and there they were again. The odd coloured eyes. But this time they glowed brightly with warmth._

 _We walked up a slope, and there we stood with the wind brushing against our pelt, the beautiful light purple sky and colourful stars shining above us, light up a path. The cats that have flanked me walked straight on the path, while I stood there. I tried to catch up, I swung my limbs back and forth, but it was no use. I stood at the very same place that I started on, and watched with dread as the two cats continued on the star-lit path. The odd-eyed cat turned to take a last, sorrowful look, and they were gone._

 _The scent of blood washed over me as the dreamy field was dyed blood red with dead bodies strewn across it. My claws were long and sharp, digging into something soft. My fur was soaked with blood and my eyes glowed red, a blazing phoenix soared above me. I looked down, and a pair of blank, lifeless eyes stared back at me. The left eye was green, and the right was brown._

 _I let out a yowl of triumph, and the world swirled around me, darkening as it went._

Twilightpaw was panting. Most likely caught up in some kind of nightmare. The blood was gone and the sun was rising, signalling the start of the new day. The wind whistled and the leaves shook, nothing but plants and the sky surrounding us.

So peaceful in such a chaotic time.

"NO." suddenly Twilight sprang up, charred fur and mud-stained pelt shivering. The stress came back, along with the skull; the mask I wore to hide from the world. The smoke like fur did not return, leaving my pelt alone.

"I should apologize." I clicked, looking away, afraid of me. Afraid of judgement. Afraid for her. She stared at me like I was something that shouldn't exist, and I don't blame her as I feel like it too.

"Sorry." I stared at the ground, nothing else left to say and the feeling of leaving again threatened me.

"No," She shook her head, "I hurt you first, I should apologize."

"I almost killed you!" I persisted, taking an uneasy step forward, "I ran away and caused all the Clan problems!" the white she-cat just continued to shake her head.

"No, Saber. It wasn't your fault," she looked up at me in concern, "what did that Shifter say to you that day in the tree hollow?" Guilt washed over me as the memories from that day came, and I struggled to stay on my paws.

"Uh, that eagle? He… he told about my brother…" she nodded,

"He's alive," I half mumbled to myself, "and he's a leader of the Shifters."

"He has no memories of me. I don't see why to keep looking." I felt my mask shatter and disappear, "I just want to go home. Back to StoneClan." Twilightpaw pressed herself against me.

"That's what I came here to do." She said, voice muffled by my fur.

 _Back to StoneClan. Back to where I belong. Back to home._

***BTL***

I let out a sigh of relief as ShadowClan territory was left way behind us, the marshy grounds giving way to soft grass of ThunderClan. Saberpaw seemed relieved, too. His brown tabby pelt was flat against the wind, and his claws were sheathed.

Three days had passed after that fight. Now we're on our track to home. _Stoneclan._ Oh, how I miss Stoneclan. I miss Stoneclan so much that I started to miss Smalldust's angry pipsqueak screams, Leopardfang's bossy commands, Rabbitleap's rant about not having enough food for himself, Tigerstrike's show-offs, Tansypaw's gossips, Dawnlight's grumpy huffs… It'll never end.

"I'll give anything to hear Foxscar's endless speeches about the fox right now," I meowed sentimentally.

"I'd give anything to be deaf right now," Saberpaw purred amusingly while I stared at him, " you're _way_ too chatty."

"Zircon and Levin never shut up, either!" I protested.

 _At least I talk about_ important _stuff!_ Levin shot back.

 _Ya, important stuff like THERE'S A SHIFTER PATROL JUST BEHIND YOU DUMB ASSES!_ Zircon screamed. Saberpaw and I swirled around while Levin and Zircon got into their beast forms.

"Intruders! What are you doing here?" a raccoon growled with a giant badger and a hawk flanking it.

"Crystallics!" screeched the hawk, "they must be brought back to camp!" the badger, seemingly the leader in this particular patrol, nodded in agreement, it's small beady black eyes shining with evilness.

"Perhaps they'll make good specimens." it croaked.

"You're talking like you're in charge," Saberpaw hissed, "but you're NOT!" and he clung to the badger and went for its throat. The big, heavy, stupid creatures blurred and turned into a brown and white tabby tom.

"Don't you dare hurt Zig!" the hawk exclaimed as its claws went to grab Saberpaw. I wouldn't let her get away doing _that_!

"Big, stupid, ugly hawk!" I sneered, "why don't you try to fight me, fatty?" The hawk turned its attention on me, and let out an angry screech.

"Don't you dare!" I pounced on her and bit hard on the hawk's wings. It let out a howl of agony before blurring and turning into a grey tortie she-cat, her pale green eyes burning with anger. Her left shoulder was torn, blood slowly seeping out from the wound.

"I see the hawk had lost her big fat chicken wings!" I scowled to her before pouncing on her again, but a force dragged me back and I landed with a thump. The raccoon, now a lynx point young tabby tom which looked roughly the same age as me.

 _Are shifters all this strong?!_

 _At least they're all stronger than you, weakling._ Zircon laughed. I rolled my eyes and kept on going.

I let out a low snarl and sent a blow up the lynx point tabby's nose. He dodged the first one but got hit squarely by the second one.

"Ow!" he meowed, "my nose is bleeding! How dare you trespass our territory, mouse-breath Crystallic?!" then he flung himself towards me. The white lynx point tabby tom was strong, but his heavy big tail is slowing him down. At the same time, I noticed the grey tortie she-cat was stalking behind me. So I took a step back and the two cats bumped each other.

"Stupid fox breaths!" I snorted and raced towards Saberpaw.

The brown tabby's situation didn't look good. The brown and white tabby tom named Zig was too strong and experienced. Saber and Levin needed to work together and they had little control over the situation. Zig's blows are too fierce, too fast. The two other shifters were right after me, and I need to figure something out and fast.

"Trespassers!" a voice coming from above disturbed my thought and I tripped. The white lynx point tabby caught up with me and pinned me to the ground.

"Gotcha, Crystallic!" he cheered. And there comes Saber's heavy sigh and a light _thump_. _He's caught, too._ I looked up and saw a great horned owl flanked by two other snowy owls flying above the battlefield.

"You are under the Shifters' control and shall be brought back to camp!" it announced. The two other snowy owls screeched in agreement.

"Is _he_ your leader?!" I asked in disbelief. _So this is Blaze? He's nothing like his brother!_

"Do you mean our chieftain? No," the white lynx point tabby replied, " _she_! She, Aspen, is our vice! Our chieftain is the Great Blaze!" he announced proudly. It was then I noticed a tiny chipmunk sitting on the great horned owl's head, gnawing on a piece of bacon and humming cuss words while doing so.

 _Now that's more like it._ And I totally agreed with Zircon. _Yup, Saber's brother right there!_ The great horned owl and the snowy owls landed on a patch of long grass a few fox-lengths away from me and Saberpaw. The owls blurred and turned into cats. The great horned owl turned into a white tabby she-cat with her leader still on her head as a chipmunk, followed by a large dark grey tom and a blue-grey she-cat.

"Choco, Misty, I trust you to please take this trespasser, or shall we say, prisoner, back to camp," the vice, apparently named Aspen, nodded towards me, "yowl for Bluebell if the prisoner escapes," she commanded.

"Yes, ma'am!" meowed the grey tortie she-cat.

"Yes, Aspen! I won't let you down!" The white lynx point tabby was shaking with excitement, his tail up in the air proudly. I let out a quiet sigh.

"Some young cats." I mumbled.

"Thank you, Choco." Aspen blinked, "the rest of us Shifters, we need to have a little chat with this _brother_ of our chieftain's." her gaze narrowed dangerously. I knew Saber is in danger, but I was helpless to try to help him.

 _Oh, Starclan. Please let him be safe!_

***BTL***

I was propped up against a tree trunk, legs tied together by some snake skin.

"Why should I tell you anything?!" I practically screeched at the Shifter, Aspen, who was interrogating me. She scowled at me,

"Answer the question, _pest_ : how do you know about great Chieftain Blaze?" I flinched hearing Blaze's name, the crushing feeling of despair curling around my heart, like a python around its prey.

"Grr," I turn my head away from the she-devil, "He's my late brother." I feel my strips flare.

 _Late?_

'Yes, late.' I sent mental pictures to Levin, 'and very dead.'

A mental gasp is heard from Levin's side of my brain, silence follows.

"Why did you trespass on our land?" the edge in her voice subsiding a little.

"I didn't know," I scoffed, "there weren't any lines drawn into the ground, as far as I know." Aspen growled, taking a step forward.

"Don't joke with me, Crystallic." She hissed, eyes clouding a little.

"I couldn't smell any Shifter scent around, so I assumed it was fine." I growled, "A huge mistake on my part." Bluffing. I had no idea what Shifter smelled like before they captured us. Apparently, they smell of lavender and piss. Weird combo.

"That's better." she _smiled_ , showing off her fangs, "Blaze never had a brother, if I recall." her brown glinted maliciously, making me quake. The snake skin tied around my legs had started to hurt.

"Same name problem?" I offered, my head low. Aspen seemed to take that into account.

Suddenly, she straightened her postor, the evil in her eyes fading and replaced with cold, unflinching intellect.

"Chieftain Blaze." I raised my head just enough to see the cat, it's form shrinking as it came up. A glint of its ice blue eyes, sprinkled with green told me that it wasn't the same name problem.

"It's nice to meet you again, Brother." the figure sneered, his breath filling my nose.

"No..."


	7. Misery

Chapter 7

Misery

"WHY DID YOU WATCH ME AND SABER GET CAPTURED AND DO NOTHING ABOUT IT?!" I screamed. The white lynx point tabby, let's just say his name, Choco, just let out a long sigh.

"How long are you going to talk to yourself like that?" he mumbled, shuffling leaves and scaring off prey while walking deeper into the undergrowth.

"I'M NOT TALKING TO MYSELF! I'M TALKING TO MY USELESS, MOUSE BRAINED, SHITTY CRYSTAL!" I yelled and practically bumped into a thorny bush. Choco sighed again.

 _Technically, you're talking to yourself because we share a life and we share a mind so technically…_

"Technically, YOU'RE LIVING IN MY FUKIN' MIND WITHOUT PAYING RENT!"

 _But see how you don't need to pay taxes for rent now?_

"...Fak you Zircon." I sighed. Choco and Misty, the grey tortie she-cat, exchanged concerned glances and shrugged.

"I think our prisoner has some mental issues," Misty meowed, "I must not be infected." she blurred and turned into a hawk.

"I will watch her from up there." Misty the hawk screeched and flew up into the sky.

"So much for _friends_!" Choco yelled. Misty the hawk didn't flinch and kept on going. We were almost at the edge of the forest now, the roar of a thunderpath seem to deafen my ears. When we arrived at the side, monsters sped by from both ways, my ear fur ruffled from the wind that they caused.

"Can I trust you to not run away while I watch for monsters?" Choco meowed, still grabbing my scruff. I just simply nod my head and looked at him innocently. _Of course, you can't, you mouse-brained idiot._

"But I don't trust you," Choco said, "and therefore we are going to do this together. When I say go, you run across the thunderpath like a pack of wolves are after you." I stared wide-eyed at him. _Wolves?! That not a very good motivation for me. BUT WHY ARE WE GOING TOGETHER?!_

"What?!"

"NOW!" Choco sprinted across the thunderpath, ears slid back and claws unsheathed. I hurried after him, paws scrambling on the hard, black ground. Choco stopped at the other end, looking at me anxiously.

"Go go go! Faster!" he yelled. _Wait, why am I going this way? I was supposed to run away._ But too late. Choco seemed to have read my mind and grabbed me by my scruff and dragged me to the other side.

"Thought so." he simply meowed with my scruff still in his mouth.

We travelled a little further into the red oak woods and stopped in front of a giant red oak with numerous brambles and thicket walls behind it. _This must be the Shifter's camp, but where's the entrance?_ I surveyed the area carefully, confused.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to run away when I let you go after we crossed the thunderpath." Choco meowed with amusement. I replied with a twitch of my ear. _Of course, I changed my mind. This is a fantastic chance to spy on Shifters!_ The white lynx point tabby brushed his front paw somewhere along the red oak and pushed something I couldn't see. Suddenly the red oak split into half with a silent screech, and inside it was a whole new world. I felt my chin hit the ground in awe, and Choco just snorted with laughter.

"Welcome, to the Shifter's camp," meowed Choco.

***BTL***

I felt a building pressure in my skull as Blaze sniffed me, then grinned.

"So, Brother, how does it feel to be worthless?" he said mockingly. I stared blankly at him, my mind in denial but my instincts told me otherwise.

"Fuck you, imposter." I snarled half-heartedly, ignoring my instincts in favour of cursing. I could feel the bone mask making its way across my forehead and jaw as I spoke.

"Oh, that's quite unexpected from you." He put a paw on my head, right on top of the bone plate that he didn't seem to notice. Anger surged through me as I let the mask form, ripping through the snakeskin.

"You sick bastard," I growled, my voice strained with rage, "Recreating my brother, then pitting him against me." I felt ice form around the skull, my fur and plates of crystals covered my ears. Blaze didn't even flinch as I limped toward him, his face blank and calculating. Aspen was long gone.

"I really wanted to see him again, but this moment has ruined my image of him." I dug my newly made ice claws into the ground right in front of this clone, steam flowing off my armour and cascading onto Blaze, burning his nose and singing his fur.

"Congrats, Odin." I breathed directly on Blaze's head and barely holding back my fury, "You're little plan is shit."

I swiftly decapitated the clone, his head falling to the ground without a fight, eyes like blue glass marbles. His body never spat out blood, just dried bits of flesh covered the exposed area. I smirked. He had been dead all along. I could see the frost that coated his insides, from drowning in that lake all those moons ago.

' _Thank you,_ ' I swore I heard him say, ' _Thank you, brother._ ' his voice just a whisper above the wind.

***BTL***

When we walked into the well-hidden Shifter camp, all the cats turned to look at me. Aspen and Scar appeared behind me while hissing loudly in my face, making sure that every cat notices my existence as a prisoner.

It looks just like a regular camp; A black she-cat and a pale ginger tabby tom sat by an oak tree on the side of the camp sharing tongues, two elderly cats lying lazily on a patch of grass in the sun, three kits chased after each other while screaming in joy. All is sweet and fine except that all the cats looked like they're about to kill somebody, especially me when I walked in. The tan tabby dark striped queen let out a huge gasp and wrapped her tail around her kits protectively, a few warriors stood up in shock while the others turned their glare on me.

A young silver spotted tabby padded towards me, paused a few seconds in hesitation, and turned to Choco.

"Who is she?" he growled, getting in my face while doing so. The kind of expression a new warrior would often wear to show that they are strong and tough twinkled in his green eyes. Choco pushed him back gently with his tail.

"A perfectly harmless and friendly prisoner, Tin." he answered rather coldly while Scar hurdled me into my jail, a hollow made of thorny brambles with the ceiling covered with leaves and sticks.

"You'll stay here quietly, won't you? Or else I'll shred you!" Scar warned, and stalked away. Choco volunteered to watch over me as he went, and the large dark grey tom agreed with a snort.

 _You're lucky they didn't push you into a badger's den._ Zircon noted.

 _Indeed._

I looked around. Dawn light seeped in from small gaps between the leaf ceiling, creating a pattern on the sandy ground. Vines poured down from the top of the hollow and covered most of the entrance. Two freshly made moss dens rested at the end of the hollow; soft and comfy, ready for some lucky cats to sleep in. The hollow was a few fox-lengths deep and a few tail-lengths high, big enough for two big muscular Maine coons to go about comfortably.

"I'm guessing this den wasn't supposed to be prepared for me, huh?" I meowed rather to myself.

"No, it was not. It was for the sick and injured cats. There were no more spaces in the healer's den." A mellow and friendly voice explained. I looked up and saw a petite chocolate tortoiseshell and white young she-cat sitting at the entrance of my 'prison', looking at me with haloed green-blue eyes twinkling with curiosity. I shrunk away from her, observing her every move.

"Who are you?" I questioned, trying to sound tougher than I am.

"My name is Sweetie. Nice to meet you! What's your name?" she chirped while sticking her sheathed paw in the hollow. _Weird name. But cute._

"Twilight." I felt a bit more comfortable with her so I stick my paw out to touch paws with her. Sweetie gripped my paw gently and shook it. Her pads were a mild shade of pink, and the snowy white fur around them are really soft.

 _Weird manners._ I noted. Choco's pale lynx point tabby fur appeared behind Sweetie, his icy blue gaze landed on her beautiful chocolate tortoiseshell and white pelt, then on me. I seem to recognize something between them.

"What are you guys talking about, Sweetie?" Choco mumbled, with a sparrow in his mouth, rather _too much_ friendliness. Sweetie nudged his chin with her forehead in response. _Are they mates?_

"Just greetings, Choc." She purred. _Choc? Are they that close already?_ A sour feeling threatened to clutch my throat, but I swallowed harder and the feeling was gone. At the far end of the clearing, Tin narrowed his gaze on these two, and let out a frustrated moan. Sweetie seemed to froze when she heard it, and Choco dropped the swallow in front of my paws and licked his chest fur, embarrassment shone in his icy blue eyes.

 _Embarrassment? What's wrong with cuddling with your mate?_ Tin dropped his fresh kill back into the fresh-kill pile and stalked towards Choco, anger burned in his green gaze. Sweetie's tail drooped and she curled beside my hollow entrance, her beautiful green-blue eyes clouded like her heart was being torn apart.

 _Or maybe it was._

***BTL***

Blaze's body was buried right under the spot were I 'killed' him. Before that, Aspen came to check up on her Chieftain. It ended with me headbutting her unconscious.

I let the ice-armour melt, the skull to fall off and dragged Aspen's body to the light that started a few minutes ago.

"Hey!" a muscular ginger Maine coon tom with amber eyes shifts from a wolf into cat form, "Aren't you our prisoner?" he looks at Aspen then snarled at me.

"She's alive." I said coldly, dropping her scruff. Someone shouted at the large shifter, revealing his name as Tiger.

"Shut up, twerp!" Tiger yelled at the voice, "Where's Chieftain Blaze?"

"Buried a tail length in the dirt." I said, glaring at him. He grits his teeth, his mouth slowly morphing into a grin.

"Then there's no one stopping me from ripping that heart of yours from your chest, Crystallic? Eh?" I didn't flinch at his words.

"Yes," I said simply, he grinned wider, his claws unsheathing and sheathing anxiously. Some more shouts came from the fire beyond the bushes. Tiger ignores them completely.

"I've been itching for a Crystallic to kill ever since the Chief let me execute the last prisoner." He licked his nose, almost savouring a scent from a long time ago, "She was a feisty one."

Before I could retaliate, three Shifters jumped out from the bushes glaring at Tiger. One of them, a dark grey tabby tom with green eyes and white tail tip, looked at him then at me.

"I didn't know you were about to dissect a Crystallic." he sneered. The second one, a chocolate and cream cinnamon striped she-cat with green-blue eyes, shot a look of annoyance at the first before the expression melted to nothing.

"I highly doubt Chief Blaze would let you kill him." she said calmly, taking a step toward the first.

"Well, who said I was the one who would kill the damn Crystallic, Swirl?" Swirl stared at the first shifter, unflinching.

"Rocky." the last cat, a blue tabby tom with a white muzzle/tail tip and blue eyes, said, "We should go back to training."

Rocky rolled his eyes.

"Fine, party pooper! You better show the little Crystallic who's boss." and he dove back into the bushes with his apprentice. Tiger looked back to me, claws completely unsheathed.

"I'm going to deal with you now." and he leaped, teeth bared and eyes full of fire.

"Killing me won't be easy." I said, taking a step back to dodge. Tiger clawed at me immediately after landing, scraping against my neck, drawing blood.

"Ha!" He jumped over me, then kicked me in the stomach, "I doubt it!"

I got back up, shooting Tiger a death stare.

"This is getting boring." I taunted, crouching down for a leap. Tiger sneered,

"Sure, kit. Come at me!" he bared his teeth as I charged, "LET ME FINISH YOU OFF!" I shifted, much to his horror, his face twisting from glee to pure terror as I morphed into a dragon, though somewhat smaller than that time with Twilight. I closed my jaws around Tiger's neck, blood cascading into my mouth as I ripped his head off.

"NO!" Aspen had gotten up. I dropped Tiger's head, his blood covering my face like rain.

"That's for kidnapping me and Twilight," I strode towards Aspen, her body seemingly paralyzed, and tore her left ear off. She screamed, falling to the ground writhing in pain and terror as I dropped it.

"That's a reminder," I raised the wings on my back, "that I am now leader of the StarClan forsaken Camp."

Aspen shivered in response.

***BTL***

I blinked my sleepiness away as morning sunlight seeps in from the gaps in the carefully made ceiling. I stood up from my den and stretched a long, nice stretch. Through the seams of the wall of the hollow, I can see a pale ginger tabby tom standing guard beside the hollow entrance. I yawned as I touch his pelt carefully with my muzzle. I had to force a purr of amusement back when he nearly jumped in surprise.

"Morning, Shifter." I greeted him with a cheerful mew. The pale ginger tabby turned and stared at me.

"Oh, uh, morning. And, um, my name's Clover, not Shifter." he mumbled.

"Am I allowed outside? My limbs are stiff. And my stomach is growling. A walk to the fresh-kill pile won't hurt, right?" I asked in a perfectly innocent voice, staring at him with big pleading eyes. Clover's ears twitched, his bright blue eyes seemed to be considering my question.

"I'll have to ask Aspen." He meowed in a firm voice and padded away. Just then the giant red oak, as the camp entrance, opened and two cats walked in.

It was Aspen and Saberpaw.

My eyes widened at the sight of these two flanking each other peacefully and exchanging meows quietly. All the cats in the camp stared at them. A dark mackerel tabby she-kit even fell down from the nursery entrance. Her mother picked her up in a hurry and shoved her kits back into the nursery with her dark striped tail. The Shifters' vice waited for Saberpaw to leaped up the leader's boulder first and then settled on her vice seat, which is a flattened rock right next to the leader's boulder. Saberpaw cleared his throat.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the boulder for a meeting." He meowed loud enough for all cats in the camp to hear and sat down on the leader's boulder, wrapping his tail neatly around his white toes.

"Saberpaw! What are you doing?!" I questioned. The brown tabby just gave me a look that says 'no, bad child' and turned away, waiting for the patrols to come back. I unsheathe my claws and dug them deep into the soil after sitting down beside Clover at the hollow entrance. Most cats swarmed around the leader's boulder naturally, but some looked hesitant while the rest just look angry and confused.

"What are YOU doing up there?!" Zig growled. This made all of the cats started questioning him.

"Aspen?! Why are you letting him take over us?!" A chocolate and cream cinnamon striped she-cat meowed sharply, her green-blue eyes stared at her vice with disbelief and betrayal.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" A grey tom with white underbelly screamed.

"Just SHUT THE HELL UP, Smokey!" A white dappled with different shades of brown patches tom screamed over his brother. The cats calmed, and the shouting and screaming eased. Saberpaw glanced at the silent crowd and nodded to Aspen. The white tabby she-cat cleared her throat and started.

"I am here to bring a bad news for you, Shifters. Chieftain Blaze had recently passed away." she meowed in a low voice. Now the Shifters were even quieter, every one of them stared at their vice with shocked eyes. Aspen paused for a little bit longer and continued.

"Chieftain Saber is here to take Chieftain Blaze's place. He will make everything normal again. Please welcome our new chieftain! " She concluded. Nobody said anything. Silence crept into every one of the Shifter's terrified minds, every one of them stared at their new chieftain with horrified expressions because they know when a Chieftain dies and the vice doesn't take their place, somebody had killed the original Chieftain. Aspen nodded to Saberpaw, uh, Chieftain Saber. The brown tabby's tail twitched in both interest and impatience for his new clanmates.

"Let me clarify something before I start with the changes," He announced, "The one you called 'Chieftain Blaze' had been dead for ages, frozen solid in a lake at Leaf-bare." The Shifters stared harder.

"First change, you challenge me, I will provide you with an agonizing death." He continued, "not like you didn't know already." Some Shifters let out a horrified wail, but the other shifters immediately stuffed their tail over their mouths.

"Second change, Crystallics are off the menu. Period." Saber stamped his paw for added effect. The Shifters bristled and unsheathed their claws, but none dared to argue.

"Third change, a small one really," he glanced over at me, smiling faintly, "the current prisoner goes free." With those last words, Saber hopped off the rock and out of sight, leaving Aspen behind to the horrified crowd. I stared at the brown tabby who disappeared behind a curtain of morning glories into his new leader den.

 _Well, there goes your happy-ever-after plan. Boom._ Zircon said matter-of-factly.

"Shut up for once, will you?!" I felt like crying. I felt like screaming. I felt like I was going to burst with frustration and… sadness. Just when I was about to do all those things, a muzzle touched my ear.

"Hey, Crystallic," It was Choco. The lynx point white tabby's eyes glittered under the sinking sun with icy blue warmth.

"Twilight," I meowed quietly.

"Twilight," he repeated my name like it was a magic spell with a satisfied expression on his face. I sighed and turned away.

"Well, let me show you around!" Choco meowed with excitement.

"Me too! I'll show you around!" an apprentice looking dark ginger tabby she-cat joined in, friendliness in her yellow eyes, "I'm Ginger. And that that sulking mouse brain there is my denmate, Plum!" she added with her tail pointing to a blue tabby tom talking intensely with a warrior-like dark grey tabby tom. Plum just gave me a concerned glare and continued his conversation.

"Come on, Crystallic, let's get you to know this place before sundown." Ginger meowed and pushed me forwards with Choco following just behind. When we walked past a group of Shifters in deep conversation, I heard fragments like: 'three sunrises later','Chieftain Saber', 'drive...out', ' kill', and 'vengeance'. My heartbeat seemed to stop as I connected the sentences together into a horrifying plan.

' _Drive out Chieftain Saber and kill him for vengeance.'_

Ignoring Choco and Ginger's surprised meows, I leaped up the boulder and rushed into Chieftain Saber's den.

***BTL***

I dug out some dirt stuck in the cracks of Blaze's old den, a filthy place full of rotting moss, rocks and gravel. It also smelled of dead cats. A great smell really.

"This (censor) of (censor) (censor)."

In the end, I ended up dragging everything outside and burning it. How? Levin. He's a great exterminator unless there are bugs involved, then he screams like a little kit and disappears.

 _You know a bunch of shifters are planing bloody murder._ Levin told me.

"Yeah," I grumbled, digging out a missed clump of moss, "As if I cared."

 _Ok then, suit yourself!_ Chieftain _Saber._ Levin bit down hard on the word 'chieftain' mockingly. I groaned, burning the moss where it was stuck in the ground.

"Saber!" I looked up from my work and found myself staring into two familiar haloed blue eyes.

"Chieftain Saber. I'm Chieftain Saber. By the way, my new subject, you should have waited for my allowance to let you in." I meowed half-jokingly, but instead found my voice surprisingly low and serious. Twilightpaw looked staggered, then managed to calm down again and dipped her head respectfully. _Of course, my attempt trying to be humorous and intimating failed miserably. Again._

"Yes, sorry, Chieftain." she whimpered. I sighed,

"What is it?" I breathed. Twilight lifted her head, her eyes distant somehow.

"Some, er, of your _subjects_ are planning to kill you," she said.

"F-For Blaze." she added hastily.

' _Shifters are really idiots,_ ' I thought bitterly, lifting my head to face Twilight.

"I already told them what would happen if they challenged me." I said plainly, "They would be foolish to do so." I noticed Twilight shifted uneasily in the entrance as if there were more to say.

"You look like there is more to say," I cocked an eye dot, "care to tell?" She stiffened.

"W-why did you become Chief?" she stuttered. A shiver ran down my spine, warning me of a future outcome if I screwed this up.

"It was kill or be killed," I said truthfully, "I had to do something, about Odin's influence, about…" I paused, feeling Twilight's stare. Suddenly, the room felt dark and small, trying to crush answer out of me.

"About my brother." I finally said, feeling the room grow colder with Twilight's distaste.

' _I screwed it up, didn't I?_ '

"Maybe you and your _plans_ are better off without me. I'll leave now." and she left, true to her word. I was left alone in the den, the shadows ever closer, their words invading my mind.

' _Unworthy of a friend so great._ ' they once whispered, small and insignificant while Twilight was by my side. Now they scream with renewed effort, deafening the world around me.

' _One true friend, yet you drive them away._ ' the shadow's eyes glisten crimson, their shapes twisting from cats into otherworldly abominations.

' _She has found someone better than you._ ' one large shadow comes and bathes me in black.

' _How sad,_ ' it hummed, ' _A kit that has never seen the stars in their magnificent glory._ '

***BTL***

Tears busted out my eyes as soon as I stepped out of the leader's den.

 _Stay strong, Twilight, stay strong._ I told myself. Feeling the cold, fresh night breeze brush against my pelt, whispering words of empathy, I calmed down a little.

 _Sometimes, things are not what you think it is._ Zircon sighed. I couldn't answer him. Or else I'd cry harder. Choco and Ginger were long gone.

' _Nobody will ever wait for someone like_ you _anyways. You have no friends.'_ A voice mocked. I looked up at the full moon through blurry eyes. My paws ached to go home, but my heart hurts when I thought of ever going home without Saber. Tears raced across my cheeks as I squeezed out the red oak entrance, and bolted to the nearest cliff. I need to see Starclan's presence, that way I'll feel safer.

' _Really? You're not even a clan cat, what made you think that they, anyone, would have cared about you?'_ the voice continued. Rain came pouring down when I finally reached the top of the cliff, stars hid behind looming dark clouds, refusing to even see my antipathetic face.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!" I screamed, tears mixing with rain.

' _Nobody likes you, not even the wolves.'_ a voice chuckled.

' _Everyone hates you!'_ a deeper voice screeched. I tried to defend myself, but nothing in my mind right now are against these truthful comments.

' _You're so self centred. You only think about yourself.'_ commented another. I stared at the grey void, defenceless.

' _What made you think you'll ever be a warrior, a true clan cat?'_ one mocked. An idea came to me. I stood up, rain streamed down from my soaked pelt. I came to the edge of the great cliff.

' _That's why you'll be alone. Forever…'_ I jumped out as high as I can with my eyes open, wishing to see this world for one last time. But the world didn't want to grant my last wish. Rain and hail turned the mountains and forests into a misty, grey hell.

I closed my eyes.

My last will of living died off, and I started falling. I thought I heard someone call my name.

 _Forget it, Twilight. No one ever cares about you, and no one will._


	8. Forces

Chapter 8

Forces

I didn't sleep. My subconscious didn't let me, not after Twilight's departure. Instead, I climbed up to a branch in the tree, high enough that I could see the mountains but low enough to see the cats that were coming out of their worn out dens.

' _You portray yourself as strong and immovable, yet you falter in times like this._ ' The shadows chided me, near the edge of mocking, ' _Why did you think becoming Chieftain was a good idea when you couldn't even get a friend to like you, much less a clan that despises you._ ' The shifters look up at me, some with fear, others with hate and resent.

Aspen soon came out, her eyes barely open as she began giving out orders for patrols.

"-You can kill them if they dare cross the border." I heard her say, the cats that were listening gained renewed energy when they heard it, springing off to their patrol groups; two teams in the morning, three teams in the evening.

"How's the ironclad Chief now?!" Someone shouted, "not so leader like now, are ya?!" I turned to where the voice came from, locking my gaze with theirs.

"Must I add more rules?" I said, keeping my tone even despite my inner turmoil, "because I don't feel like adding more death penalty rules." The cat shuts up and stiffly walked away to the fresh kill pile.

 _I wonder how long it'll take for you to convert this bloodthirsty camp._ Levin said, materializing beside me.

"A long time," I answered, looking down on two shifters fighting over something insignificant, "a long time, my friend."

I rested my head on my paws, dreaming about a place where the moon was gone and the sun was eaten and the dead shed tears for a life forgotten.

***BTL***

"Twilight! Twilight! ..." _who's calling me? Where am I?_ Every single hair on my is aching, my limbs are sore, and my head feels like it's going to explode. I opened my eyes slowy, and found myself staring into a lynx point white tabby's face.

"Twilight! You're alive!" he yelled, jumping up and down excitedly. _Choco?_

"Shut up. She needs rest." another voice answered impatiently, "if you continue to bother me, I'll kick you out, _shifter_." I struggled to turn my head, pain exploded in my neck and I had to get up, but I managed to get a glimpse of a beautiful silver tabby she-cat with a long, fluffy tail crouched beside me. Choco was sitting at my side, poking me hard.

"Stop that." I meowed and found my voice surprisingly hoarse and quiet. My throat burned when I try to speak. I licked my lips but it didn't help. My nose was dry, too.

"W-water," I croaked. Choco stared at me while the tabby she-cat glared at him.

"Great _Starclan_! Get her some _water_ , dumbass," she commanded. Chpcp seemed to wake up from his dream and burst outside. The vines that covered most of the den's entrance was lifted apart by Choco's movements, and I caught a glimpse of the outside world. The silver tabby she-cat was staring at me when I pulled my attention back from the entrance. Her brilliant green eyes stared intensely at me, not showing any despise nor friendliness.

"You're a Crystallic, ain't you," she stated, "well, you've come to the right place." I stared at her like she was trying to make friends with a dying mouse.

"What? I don't get it." I responded after licking enough water from Choco's soaked mosses. The silver tabby she-cat sighed, facepalming.

"Let me show you," she meowed before giving a warning glare at Choco, "get out of here if you don't want to be…" she put her paws in front of her neck and made a slicing gesture. Choco, who is slightly spooked, backed out and disappeared as soon as his front paw left the den's soft, sandy floor. _It reminds me of the wolf camp._ A glimpse of warmth rose in my heart, but I had to concentrate on this she-cat.

She stared at me intensely as I shifted nervously, mentally scream from the pain. Suddenly, her left shoulder glowed an intense, sparkly white light, and a snow-white bird the size of an apprentice walked out from a light globe, it's same, brilliant green eyes sparkled with intelligence. And suddenly, all was gone again.

For a long time, this Crystallic and I just stared at each other, only I was deeply in shock and pain, while she was observing my every move, muscles tensed as if she was waiting for an important answer. An idea came to me and I nearly screamed it out.

"I'm in a Crystallic camp?!" judging by that silver tabby she-cat's impressed green gaze, I knew I was right.

"Correct, young Crystallic. Now, would you, not your Shifter friend, you, care to join us?" she asked confidently as if the answer did not matter to her. I stared for a moment and nodded my head subconsciously.

 _Farewell, Stoneclan..._

***BTL***

A moon later, the shifters found out I was a half breed; half shifter, half crystallic. Now they hate me even more for some reason, well, most of them do. Mostly the older shifters have a problem with me, the kits and most apprentices are too innocent to know why.

"I sent out a hunting party," Aspen said, padding up to me, "the apprentices have sent out on a different one for training."

"Did you make sure that there were at least two peaceful shifters? And was the attacking plan made?" I asked, barely turning to look at her.

"Of course!" She yelped hastily, fur bristling as I insulted her.

"I still have to get rid of Odin's control over this camp." I said, a hint of sadness in my voice, "it's the only reason the shifters still hate me and war with the crystalline will be the aftermath."

Aspen's eyes showed understanding before she got up.

"I should guide young on the right path." I smiled slightly,

"That'll be nice." Aspen left without a word, leave me next to the boulder, alone.

The sun hid behind a mist of morning clouds, pouring faint lights of gold, painting the sky with a shimmering pink and pale blue. A white bird dove into the colourful mist, it's snowy feathers soaring through pale purple and pink clouds.

 _You know,_ Levin said, suddenly popping into existence, _you show probably get some shut eye._ I blinked a few times, stifling a yawn.

"Maybe I should," I answered wistfully, "I haven't slept all night anyway." I entered my den as Levin dissolved into a shower of snow beside me. Resting my head on my paws, I reflected on the past few days.

 _Oh, right!_ Levin appeared again. _Why's miss angry pants so friendly now?_

"Because that wasn't her," I replied, not bothering to open my eyes, "Simple really. After all, Odin doesn't create countermeasures for countermeasures, especially for sloppy mind control. Now leave me alone, I need to get some rest before leading the attack tonight." Levin didn't say anything after that, leaving me to sleep again.

But I never said it was peaceful.

***BTL***

I watched the Crystallic soldiers peacefully from a corner of the camp as a white she-kit with ginger patches and a ginger tabby tom frolicked around in the camp, and let out an amused purr.

"Mosscloud's kits are already as big as me!" a cream tabby she-kit mewed as she climbed in between my folded front paws, her blue eyes widened in awe. I licked down the fur that was sticking up on her forehead, wondering how a tiny body could hold such a big head. Her brother Stonekit, a dark grey tom with a ringed tail, gave his sister a playful push on the shoulder.

"They'll never be as big as _me_ , pipsqueak Rowankit!" he meowed loudly as his sister launched herself towards him, and soon the two kits rolled over each other, letting out squeals of delight.

"Stonekit, Rowankit," a pale grey and cream tabby queen hurried towards her kits with a tiny dappled pale grey kit at her side, "have some manner please, you're disturbing Twilight. She needs rest after her test." Her other son, Jaykit, nodded his grey dappled head in a serious manner and shot his littermates an embarrassed glare as if they had put shame on him. I stood up, giving me long, white pelt a good shake.

"No worries, Willowmist," I nodded to the kind and sweet queen, " they're no trouble." Willowmist gave me an apologetic look, nodded, and disappeared into the nursery hollow.

A moon has passed since I joined the Crystallics. They were nice to me in general though individuals see me as a spy for the Shifters or Stoneclan. General, in my sense, the leader of the Crystallics had given me a test on my hunting and battle skills this morning, and I seriously doubt I can pass. And a new discovery left me daydreaming the whole time on yesterday's patrols.

I looked down at my slightly swollen belly, wondering which cat had fathered these tiny lives. Yes, I know signs of pregnancy appeared when Choco left for the Shifters after making sure my bones healed properly, and even I think that maybe Choco fathered these unborn kits. But part of me disagrees with myself. It just didn't feel right. I am still an apprentice after all.

 _Don't worry kits, I will no longer keep you guys as a secret as soon as I become a warrior._ I groomed my belly over and over again, a taste of affection for these kits rose in my heart. The feeling's so strong I could almost taste it. Bitter-sweet.

 _If only I could ever become one._

"Hey, Twilight! How did your test go? I heard Stormtail telling other Sergeants that you did well." A voice called. I looked up to a speckled brown she-cat with darker ringed tail and white toes. It's Owlflame, the first good friend I made after joining the Crystallics.

"He did? Oh well. Anyways...What's up, colonel?" I teased. The Crystallic colonel's round amber eyes stared at me in embarrassment, tail swinging behind her.

"It's only been a quarter moon," she mumbled, but I ignored her.

"What's the matter? Any news?" I asked, hoping everything is fine outside the camp. Owlflame gave me a Lenny face, mouthing the name 'Choco', and I slapped her ear rather playfully.

"Fine, get serious, whatever," she meowed and continued, "there have been a few fights over borders, but this morning Aspen threatened to strike our camp if we cross the borderline again. Iceclaw crossed the borderline but wouldn't admit it." she sighed. Worry tightened my heart as every word sank in.

"Is…"

"Choco's alright. He wasn't in the battle anyway," Owlflame cooed. But I wasn't going to ask about Choco. I was going to ask about _Saber._ When I opened my mouth to ask, a voice stopped me.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather to hear my words!" a deep, loud voice boomed.

"Gotta go, see you later!" Owlflight bonded towards a fallen lodge beside the leader's den where a giant, muscular black tom sat, his blazing yellow eyes scanning for his clanmates. _Darkthunder_. Head and overall general of the Crystallics. Crystallics swarmed towards their general and settled around it in a circle. Darkthunder scanned the buzzing crowd with a hint of displeasure in his narrowed eyes while his colonel watched impatiently, speckled brown fur puffed up in excitement. I stayed at the back of the crowd, only to be seated with impetuous apprentices.

"Do you think it's going to be our naming ceremony?" Whitepaw asked, the black she-cat bouncing up and down in excitement. Her sister Moonpaw just gave her an impatient look. They chattered until a ginger tabby tom, Moonpaw's mentor who she calls 'teacher', sitting in front of them turned around to shut them up.

"Sorry, Finchfeather," they mumbled as the whole crowd silenced. Darkthunder sat on the fallen tree, his yellow gaze focused on me, burning with interest.

"We are now nearly at the end of Greenleaf. Prey had been an abundant source in our territories, we had no sick cats, and a brave, kind individual had joined us a moon ago. Starclan had been kind to us." murmurs of agreement rose from the crowd and left my pelt hot with embarrassment while Darkthunder continued to stare at me.

"Twilight. Would you come forward please." My ears pricked up in surprise, but I obeyed and squeezed through the crowd, hesitated before a entered the clearing, and walked up to Darkthunder. All the Crystallics were staring at me, some were encouraging me, and some were just glaring. Darkthunder ignored all of these factors.

"This morning, I did an assessment test on her. If you thought she's just a wimpy and useless kittypet, she had proved you wrong. Her battling skills were perfect, and her hunting skills are even higher than a few of my sergeants," he announced. I was surprised to hear my results were good, and after making sure the sergeants, which would have been the senior warriors in a normal clan, weren't pissed, I let out a sigh of relief. The Crystallic general seemed to hear my sigh and gave me a questioning look.

' _Are you okay?'_ he mouthed. I just shook my head slightly, my eyes sore and my nose is twitching again. I felt like crying. Maybe it was because I look like his daughter who died of green cough two seasons ago, maybe it's because he just doesn't want to ruin his reputation, or maybe he was just acting, but I don't care. This cold-blooded general cared for me like I was his own kit.

"I, Dark Thunder, general of the Crystallics, look upon my warrior ancestors to look down at this apprentice. She had learned the ways of your noble code, and I commend her as a warrior in her return. Twilight, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, protect and defend this Army, even at the cost of your life?" he meowed in a serious manner, chin tilted towards the sky. Some Crystallics looked up too. It was dawn, and the sun was setting. I looked up too. Staring at the beautiful dawn sky for what seemed like a century, I returned my attention to the general's blazing eyes, blood roaring in my ears. This ceremony was supposed to happen in Stoneclan. I was supposed to become a warrior, not a soldier. I'm not at home. I need to go home... But _this_ is my _new_ home that I really need to adapt to.

"I do," I answered after a moment of hesitation. Darkthunder's eyes narrowed, his gaze hinted a flash of pride and warmth.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Twilight, you will now be known as Twilightfall. Starclan honours your courage and enthusiasm. We welcome you as a full soldier of the Crystallic Army."

"Twilightfall!"

"Twilightfall!"

"Twilightfall!"

"Twilightfall!" I was left speechless at the cheering of my new name, Darkthunder gazing at me proudly made tears roll down my cheeks. I licked one off.

It tasted like becoming a soldier, it tasted like not being home, it tasted like never able to become a warrior, it tasted like the tiny lives in me, it tasted like Dusk not recognizing me, it tasted like a secret that is never to be told.

 _It tasted like falling in love with Saber._

***BTL***

 _I awoke to a forest covered in fog, the tree's dark branches and bodies seemingly in casing me in their domain. The howls of distant monsters echoed around me, the trees shifting in the light breeze. Red eyes stared from beyond my cage, unwavering and unblinking._

'You do not belong here,' _they hissed, '_ You are not evil like those before you _.' I crouched down, a chill sweeping across my body as I felt the presences approached me._

'BEGONE!' _Their voices cried in unison, like a tidal wave crashing down upon me. I closed my eyes instinctively, waiting for something to lash out at me. But it never came._

 _I cracked my eyelids open, unable to prepare myself when the brilliant white light that poured in. Transparent cats walked out of a pale coloured forest, a star covered sky above them._

'The end is nigh!' _they chanted, '_ The end is nigh!'

 _A single cat took a step forward, her coat of stars dim, and spoke darkly._

'And not even we can stop it.' _The rolling hills behind her turned from a pale turquoise to a muddy grey, the legion of cats toppling over and covering the ground with their bodies, the sky clouding over with thunderclouds._

'Forgive us,' _she looked as if she were on the verge of crying, '_ For everything rests on your shoulders now.' _And she collapsed, her coat of stars dimming into nothing and the grey ground beneath her became soaked in blood._

 _I stared at the body in shock, then lifted my head to see all the others. They lay on the dirt motionless and covered in crimson, their eyes glazed over._

 _I walked over towards the last figure standing on the hill. Stepping over mauled bodies and dismembered limbs, I approached the hill turned cliff. Their paws were covered in blood, head turned to stare off into the distance. Unaware of my presence._

 _Taking one more look into the familiar field, I could make out the faces of cats I knew; Kestralstar, Cedarbreeze, Foxscar and even newer faces like Aspen and Choco lay dead in the dirt._

 _For a second, I felt like I could empty my stomach, then past memories of the same hill came back to me, forcing themselves down my throat. I gagged and turned away, the fragment of memory with Skoll floating around my brain._

 _I hesitantly moved beside the figure, right at the edge of the cliff, thinking ahead to avoid the past. The breeze that came from below blasted me in the face, the smell of two-leg water coming with it. I thought maybe I could sit this nightmare out, smelling this putrid air with my eyes closed._

 _I was wrong to assume that. The next sensation I felt was when my neck cracked, face plastered against a cold surface._

I shook my pelt free of raindrops outside the soldier's hollow, and headed towards the fresh kill pile. The sky was gloomy with darkening clouds, the air was damp with the smell of wet earth.

"Twilightfall!" I looked back towards the voice. A two toned red and white tom appeared from of the soldier's hollow with a ginger and brown tabby she-cat following close behind. It was Sunstorm and Fawnleaf, one of the first soldiers that were nice to me. Their actions showed other Crystallics that I am not a threat to them. Warmth twinkled in my haloed blue eyes as I waited for them to hurry and join me, and the three of us made our ways to the fresh kill pile. Only a squirrel and a skinny mice lay in a puddle where the fresh kill was supposed to be. Fawnleaf wrinkled her nose like she just seen something disgusting.

"This doesn't even looks like a pile anymore, we should let the elders eat first," she suggested while she lapped at her wet pelt, damped by the moist in the air.

"What about the kits?" A voice clamoured. It was a calico she-cat with piercing brown eyes stood behind us with her two kits, Swankit and Flamekit at her paws, complaining about growling stomachs.

"Don't worry, Mosscloud, Owlflame will send out hunting patrols for you and your kits," I meowed, assuring the anxious queen. Mosscloud just let out a snort and stalked away with her kits following closely behind.

"I can't believe Finfeather can stand her!" Sunstorm exclaimed with an exaggerated expression. I exchanged an expression with Fawnleaf, and the three of us padded towards wlflame, who sat at the edge of the fallen tree, organizing patrols.

"Lightningstreak, patrol the southeast side of our border with Iceclaw and Mintflower. Wolfclaw, take Hawkwing and Mapledawn to patrol our north west border. Breezefrost, take two cats with you on a hunting patrol." ordered the speckled brown she-cat while the soldiers and sergeants on duty left the camp to do their jobs. Her round amber eyes brightened at the sight of Twilightfall.

"Twilightfall, you'll come with me on a hunting patrol. Take two other soldiers with you. We'll need to restock the fresh-kill pile as soon as possible." Owlflight stood up and padded towards the entrance. Twilightfall invited Sunstorm and Fawnleaf to come with her, and the four cats set off into the misty forest.

Sunlight seeped in from the top of the branches, illuminating the mist in the forest. Taking no more than a few steps in the forest, I spotted a mouse a few tail-lengths away. I flopped down, trying hard to not get mud on my snowy white pelt. Owlflame and the others had gone to other parts of the forest to hunt, leaving me in peace. I crept forward, the mice seemed too focused on chewing the berry in its tiny claws that somewhat resembles a two leg's front paws. I crept forward a little bit more, careful to avoid stepping on twigs and leaves. Suddenly blue tabby fur flashed in my vision, and the mice were gone. A blue tabby tom with a white muzzle held the mice in his jaws, blue eyes shining in triumph. I recognized Plum's blue tabby pelt from my memory of the Shifter's camp.

' _How dare he cross the border and steal my prey?!_ ' I let out an annoyed hiss and flung myself towards the Shifter apprentice without hesitation. Plum seemed to be expecting a more mild approach. He dodged my blow, rolled over and jumped up again, this time with fur missing in his pelt.

"How dare you cross the border, Shifter?!" I growled. Zircon screeched angrily in his phoenix form, already lunging himself at the blue tabby Shifter.

"Why are you attacking a trainee, fox-heart?" another voice screeched, and I felt a sudden weight on my shoulders. I twisted in mid-air, long tail whipping the attacker's face, gave it a fierce blow, and landed with ease. It was Rocky, Plum's teacher. I bared my teeth to him and leaped towards him, not giving him any chance to shapeshift. The dark grey tabby tom rolled away from me and jumped back towards me, aiming for my eyes.

"Snake heart!" I cursed, merely dodging his blow by a kitten step. Pain crossed my mind as a powerful blow left a notch on my right ear, blood streamed down from the fresh wound and dripped down my chin. I let out an angry screech and looked for the cat who is responsible. White tabby fur and cream lynx point fur flashed in my vision. Memories flickered on the back of my head as white lynx point fur came into view, but my anger had portrayed into power. I spun around ferociously, left eye flashing red. It was Aspen.

"Zircon!" I called. The phoenix landed behind me with Plum in his claws, his sharp beak angled towards the Shifter trainee's throat. I smirked unconsciously, and that enraged the trainee's teacher.

"You fox hearted Crystallics, give my trainee back to me!" Rocky shouted, bristling.

"Dead or alive?" I answered coldly, claws flexing as I imagined shredding the Shifter's pelt. Zircon gave me a 'control yourself, young lady' eye, and I forced the feeling down my throat and calmed down a little. _Relax, Twilightfall, relax. Think of the consequences of losing control over yourself. Relax…_ I told myself. Just then, I caught a slight movement at the back of my vision. My heart tightened at the possibility of more Shifters, but it turned out to be my fellow soldiers.

"Nice job, Twilightfall! Cool Crystal, by the way!" Sunstorm gave Zircon an impressed expression while the Crystal ignored him completely.

"What do you want?" Aspen questioned, and flinched visibly when Zircon shot her an eye that looked too much like her former chieftain Blaze's when he was about to do something cruel. I stepped back and let Owlflight negotiate with the Shifters. My paws were shaking, I kept licking my mouth, tongue seeking the taste of blood. _Control yourself, Twilightfall. Control…_ I closed my eyes tightly, afraid to open them again.

"Hand in all prey that had been caught on our territory," Owlflame meowed after giving me an approved look, "or _else_." Rocky flinched with a flash of disbelief in his eyes. I opened them again, suddenly sensing a smell so familiar, it brought tears to my reddened eyes. _Stop creating illusions for yourself!_ I gritted my teeth, refusing to believe.

"Or else what?" Aspen asked, hackles raised, looking like she's about to attack someone.

"Or else we declare war," Owlflame's eyes were narrowed into amber slits with a hint of danger in them. My heart stopped and the temperature in me dropped cold. War. War means fighting against Saber. Fighting against my beloved kits' father. War also means...losing control.

 _Great Starclan, save me!_

***BTL***

 _Hey,_ Levin said, deciding not to appear, _How long has Miss Warm and Cuddly been out?_

I groaned.

"First of all, her name's Aspen," Levin whistles, earning him another groan, "And second, I just sent her out on a hunting party."

 _Oh, I guess I missed it._ Levin moaned half-heartedly, probably rolling around in my mindscape. (He doesn't have any hands to use anything like a T.V.)

"No crap." I turned my head to see Choco approaching me, hesitating when I turned.

"Chieftain, sir!" he cried, straightening up quickly. I got up from laying down.

"Choco," I said calmly, "Is something wrong? I thought you were in the hunting party."

"Y-yeah, I was," he shifted around on his paws, head tilted toward the ground, "Aspen sent me back t-to get you."

I felt my calm glaze harden when Choco flinched,

"Do you know what happened?"

"N-no."

"Misty!" I shouted, earning the attention of the young she-cat from across the camp.

"Sir!" She ran over, stars glistening in her eyes, ready to prove herself, as always.

"I'll be back soon," I told her coldly, "if anything bad happens after I've left, go after me." She nodded vigorously, still oblivious to why the senior shifters were wary of me. I turn to Choco, who looked like he regained some dignity.

"Bring me to Aspen," I commanded. He nodded, running into the forest with me close behind.

"It's near the border!" Choco shouted above the wind, "I don't actually know what's happening." Seven blurry figures came into view, one a little too familiar.

"Chief!" I skidded to a stop, my eyes landing on the Crystallic deputy. Aspen got to my side immediately.

"What is the meaning of this?" I growled at Owlflame, my eyes scanning over to where Plum was, pinned to the ground by a giant phoenix that looked somehow familiar. Twilight stood quietly beside it, claws digging into the ground, ears laid back and eyes shut tightly.

"Your hunting party crossed the border!" Owlflame growled, "Catching _our_ prey on _our_ territory!"

' _I have never seen anyone get so worked up over prey… are they short on food?_ ' I thought, suspicious of the speckled she-cat's behaviour.

"What do you want," I asked, anger seeping into the undertone.

"I demand all the prey that this patrol has caught in our territory," Owlflame demanded.

"Or else?" I asked, keeping an eye on Plum. White fur flashed at the side of my vision. It was Twilight, clawing at the ground, hackles raised and mumbling something to herself.

"Or else they declare war." Aspen finished, gritting her teeth. Twilight whispered something to that phoenix, her Crystal, and rubbed against his flaming feathers.

' _I feel like my hunch is correct._ '

"Before I agree," I said, turning to face Owlflame, "I want to confirm something." Twilight turned her attention towards me, a flash of nervousness is seen in her slightly reddened eyes.

"Fine," Owlflame spat angrily, "But if you're stalling for time," She made a cutting motion with her paw over her neck.

"Is your Clan…" I glanced at Aspen and Rocky, "Out of prey?"

Owlflame and the other Crystallics seized up immediately after I finished, ears held back and snarling.

' _So I was right_ ' I smirked to myself, gaining a threatening growl from Owlflame.

"I don't know what you mean," She said, circling around me, "But I said to cut the crap."

"So, if I deny your demand," I said, watching as she stalked around me, "you declare war." She froze as if she knew where this was going.

"Tell me colonel; how do you win a war on empty stomachs?" I inquired. Silence reigned for two minutes. The Crystallics and the Shifters glared at each other, this time it's the Shifters' turn to flash triumph in their eyes. Owlflame broke it, breathing heavily, mostly out of anger,

"Fine," She snarled, fur bristling, "keep the prey, you filthy thieves. Twilightfall! We're leaving."

"Wha-" Twilight stared at her colonel, but then nodded and touched noses with her Crystal.

"C'mon Zircon. Let him go." she meowed softly. Zircon snorted and released his grip on the apprentice.

"Plum! By my side." I ordered and he quickly got up on his paws and launched onto my side, visibly shaking.

"Aspen." She perked up, "Make sure no patrol crosses the border again, bad relations will become a thorn in my side. They're just annoying to deal with."

"Yes, Chief." She said, dipping her head down as if she was taking the blame.

"We're going back," I commanded, taking notice to the silent Rocky. He looked angry, ready to slit the Crystallic's throats, ready for any battle. War in essence. I shivered but still remaining composed.

' _I really hope a war never happens…for Twilight's sake._ '


	9. Sparks of the Fire

Chapter 9

Sparks of the Fire

I flexed my claws, trying hard to control myself from the moment Saber appeared in my vision. Finally, I collapsed after the Shifters padded out of sight.

 _Twilight!_ Zircon nudged me with his beak.

"Twilightfall!" Sunstorm and Fawnleaf rushed to my side, asking stupid questions like 'are you okay'. I buried my muzzle deeper between my paws, shoulders trembling and claws unsheathed.

 _I-I'm losing control… Zir-zircon… Help me! Help me!_ I cried, hot tears rolling down my cheeks, claws ripping the grass under me into pieces.

 _It's going to be okay._ I felt him setting down beside me, huge wings spread out as if trying to protect me from my deepest fears.

"What's happening?" I heard Owlflame ask.

"Get away from me!" I screamed, the redness deepened in my left eye. Glaring at my flaming, unsheathed claws, I just wanted to hide from the world, hide from myself. Zircon forced them away with balls of fire, and the three Crystallics finally left to report this to Darkthunder.

After a while, I took a deep breath and stood up again, haloed blue eyes free of any redness. Zircon had gone back to my mindscape to rest, and I was left alone in the woods. I groomed my slightly swollen belly full of kits. My paws ached to go back to my mossy den in camp and take a long, nice nap. I stretched and padded on my way back to camp.

By the time I entered the camp entrance, Darkthunder was calling for a camp meeting again.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather to hear my words!" called the muscular black tom. He surveyed his army with narrowed eyes, his tail tip twitching anxiously behind him, betraying the neutral expression on his face.

"We're going to sneak attack the Shifters today!" Darkthunder announced after telling the army about what happened today. All the Crystallics started talking at once, some growling and unsheathed their claws, some letting out squeals of excitement, and some had already started practicing their battle moves. I was the only one who wasn't happy about this. I was the only one who doesn't want war. I was the only one who doesn't want to fight.

 _I was the only one who has kits in their belly but still has to face my children 's father in battle._

***BTL***

"Those Crystallic scum…" some shifter mumbled, "Threatening us…" Rumours were spreading fast about the encounter, about me too.

"Looks like that half breed is not so bad…" I leaped onto the branch above my den where I usually sit.

The camp had gotten more active, the shifters huddled in groups or glancing at me before continuing on their work. The murderess air that covers this place hadn't left, only thinned out.

Aspen was giving out orders, as usual, her voice was the only loud noise in camp.

' _I should prepare for the Shifter leader meeting Aspen told me about… I wonder when Hati's ambassador comes…_ '

 _Apparently the Leader or Chief has to come in their most powerful form…_ Levin said, wearing a pair of grey rimmed glasses. I huffed.

"You don't look smart in that." I told him, unimpressed by his 'costume'.

 _Well, miss Pretty can't do better than me!_ He tried to counter _She can't steal random stuff from humans._

"She's a shifter." I reminded him, "Shifters can take on a two-leg appearance."

 _Well-_ He started.

"No." I stared him right in the eyes, letting my front leg to hang off the branch, "You can't. Maybe in different areas, but not this one. To the other shifters, you're just an overgrown, pale blue, danger noodle." Levin backed off, mocking shock on his face and if he had a claw, he would've put it on his chest.

 _I am hurt_ he said, the sarcasm practically dripping off the words. I smirked, dropping my shield of leader-like authority.

"Don't fight me," I joked, "or I'll demote you to a cleaner." Levin faked fainting, his eyes rolling up into his head before he did a loop to face me again.

 _Noooooo, not the pooper scooper!_ He moaned, still leaning backwards, being dramatic.

"Chief!" I looked down to see Plum on the ground below me. Levin, scenting the urgency, dispersed into a show of snowflakes, falling onto Plum and causing him to shiver.

"Yes, Plum?" I asked, the mask of unwanted leadership falling back on my face. I got up and jumped off the branch I was resting on, landing beside the blue tabby tom.

"Aspen has sent out the sun-down patrols." the apprentice reported while I nodded, "and, um, my mentor is angry for some reason."

' _Rocky's probably mad because there was no blood spilled._ ' I thought, furrowing my brow. Plum stared at me, eyes wide, waiting for an answer to my frustration.

"I'll do something about it," I told the apprentice quietly, trying to mask my displeasure. I left a bewildered and frightened Plum to his duty, trotting up to Rocky's den. The smell was horrible, like dead fish and the human thing call blue cheese were scrambled in a landfill then eaten and thrown up by a horse.

' _What the heck does Rocky do in there?_ ' I mentally screamed, rubbing my nose while trying to ignore Levin's not-so-quiet snickering.

"What do you want." Rocky pushed aside the twigs covering his entrance as if he expected me to arrive.

"I can't have a weak link in this camp," I replied, matching his cold blade with one of my own.

"Well if I fought today I _might_ have felt better." He growled, muscles twitching with anticipation, claws sheathing and unsheathing.

"..." I stared at him, into his feverish, blood-seeking eyes.

"Fine." I told him after a minute, "Follow me out onto the field."

"Why should I listen to a pussy like you?" He threatened, his scowl growing.

"Do you want the Crystallics to win this perpetual war?" I asked, turning my back to him, "or stay in this stalemate?"

"There won't be a stalemate when we win this bloody war!" He roared, "And we don't need some bleedin' pet to lead us!" I could feel heads turn all around us. It was either I act fast or I lose my spot and reputation.

I turned and jumped at Rocky, pushing him to the right. Another leap and I was on top of him.

"If you cannot anticipate your enemy, then you cannot stay in a stalemate, much less win a war," I growled, leaning close to Rocky's shocked face.

' _Teach the kit a lesson_ ' a part of me said, and I followed with no regrets, ' _all of them, they all need lessons._ '

"All of you here lack brains, no matter how smart you are," I looked out around us, but not moving my head, "I will always outsmart you."

I raised my head to announce to everyone around us.

"I have a question to ask all of you maggots!" I shouted, a ting of anger in my voice, "Who is your leader, your Chief who has enough brains to get you out of a mess?!"

"SABER!" Some cheered and others moaned.

"And why do we stand against the Crystallics?!" I howled, moving off a shaking Rocky.

"BECAUSE THEY DENIED OUR FREEDOM!" I could hear the enthusiasm as more shifters joined the growing crowd.

"What does a weak link do to a Clan!?"

"THE ENEMY WINS!" The whole camp was cheering, either on the dens or on rocks or the sandy ground.

"Now let's show the Crystallics what happens when they declare war! Even if it's to scare us! For the SHIFTERS!"

"SHIFTERS! SHIFTERS! SHIFTERS!" The whole camp was surrounding us, cheering and howling, flying and screeching. To myself, I wondered,

 _Was this meant to be?_

***BTL***

"One last thing to announce." Darkthunder cleared his throat, and all of the cats turned their attention to him. There's something unusual in the black tom's eyes.

"I'm retiring. Owlflame is now your new General." and the tom tumbled down from the fallen tree and headed towards the elders' hollow. Everyone, including Owlflame, stared in shock while the elders greeted their former leader with a hint of sympathy and warmth flashing in their eyes.

For once the camp was quiet, and the only things that can be heard were soft purrs of Leopardclaw and friendly grumbles of Larchstorm and Patchfoot. I observed the former General carefully, making sure this is not just a joke; bits of gray masked the black tom's muzzle, his legs buckled, his once strong, muscular body now shaky and weak.

Owlflame seemed to recover after a while and leaped on the fallen tree in her new position. She dipped her head slightly towards her former general and called for the camp's attention. After a few brief words to remember what Darkthunder has done for the army his past moons of being General, it is now time for Owlflame and the sergeants to appoint a colonel. They huddled beneath the fallen tree in a shallow pit, mumbling and whispering something.

I sat down at the edge of the camp, waiting for the results. For whoever is chosen to be colonel, it doesn't affect me and my kits. And that's enough for now. I watched the elders huddle around Darkthunder and helped him into the elder's hollow. Whitepaw and Moonpaw went busy looking for soft leaves and fresh moss while the older kits went to help too with their mother's permission. Willowmist came and settled beside me, her soft cream and grey tabby fur brushing against mine. I turned to look at her. The queen's beautiful blue eyes twinkled with warmth.

"It feels good to see them starting to help around the camp, all ready and full of passion," she meowed with hints of pride in her voice, " I remember you were like this too when you first became an apprentice here." I looked down at my paws, memories of the past flashing back at me.

 _Memories of Stoneclan._

A soft paw wiped off the wetness in my eyes I didn't realize was there.

"You must miss your home so much. Where Ever you came from. It must be hard for them, too, to born without knowing where they belong to. " Willowmist meowed softly, her tail resting on my shoulders sympathetically, blue eyes gazed with warmth at my belly, and turned away. I pretended not to understand.

"Uh, I think Owlflame is ready to announce the new colonel now," and I escaped the scene, panic swelling inside me. _She knows about my kits! Willowmist knows about my kits!_

' _Mmmhmm.'_

 _Don't make things worst, Zircon._ I warned to the red Crystal eating potato chips in my mindscape again. Owlflame had already gone back onto the fallen tree, and a crowd is gathering already.

"Crystallics, now is time to appoint your new colonel," meowed the speckled brown she-cat. The crowd shifted uneasily, and particular cats puffed out their pelts, looking confident.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice," she announced with a hint of uncertainty, "The new colonel of the Crystallics is Twilightfall." I stared at my friend, shocked at the announcement. Some cats growled, some cats questioned Owlflame's choice loudly, but half to most of the cats started cheering my name.

"Twilightfall! Twilightfall!"

"Twilightfall! Twilightfall!"

"Twilightfall! Twilightfall!"

I padded slowly up to my General and touched nose with her. I turned, and the two of us gazed at the crowd. I looked at my former General, Darkthunder, who didn't look surprised and yowled my name the loudest. Warmth lit up something in me, and suddenly this felt more like home than it had ever done. Owlflame quiet downs the crowd and left me my first task; to send out fighting patrols.

I, Zircon and I to be exact, thought briefly for a moment, and started commanding cats to stand in different lines at the entrance after their name is called.

"Breezefrost, Patchpelt, Whitepaw, please line up behind them to form the first line. I will lead this patrol straight up to their entrance, declare war, and trick them into thinking they're much stronger than us." I commanded with trembling meows as Owlflame gave me an encouraging look, and the cats did as they were told.

I didn't hesitate this time and started organizing the next patrol immediately after the first one.

"Wolfclaw, I trust you to lead the first ambusher's patrol of Iceclaw, Finchfeather, Moonpaw, and Mapledawn. Your patrol will wait in a concealed position by the Northeast side of the entrance and attack when I SEND MY SIGNAL. You understand?" The cats nodded and walked up to form a second line. I felt my heart skipped a beat when Owlflame raised a paw, frowning. _Did I do something wrong? Did I not choose the right cats? What had I done?_ Confusion and fear crushed my lack of confidence, and my pelt was hot with shame. All eyes were on me and the General now.

"I'll join them," Owlflame meowed simply. I let out a relieved sigh and moved on with the next patrol.

"Tigerwing, Hawkwing, Stormtail, and Lightningstreak," I let my haloed blue gaze land on the well muscled black tom with a sight-shocking golden streak across his back, "you guys are responsible for wiping out any enemies left standing near the end. Lightningstreak, can I trust you to lead this team, the strongest of our patrols? Do you promise you will WAIT FOR MY SIGNAL?" I questioned, staring intensely at the aggressive and rebellious tom.

"Of course." Lightningstreak huffed and turned to join the other cats in his patrol. I turned to the medicine cat sitting beside her hollow.

"Silentmist," the word seemed to slip off my tongue like a fish, "please prepare all the herbs needed to treat wounds and infections. Shadecloud, please organize the rest of the soldiers to protect the camp." I told the black saddled white she-cat firmly. She nodded, expressionless bright green eyes didn't give way to show any signs of disappointment.

I nodded to Owlflame and motioned to the new General that I'm done. The brown speckled she-cat blinked thankfully to me and switched on a solemn face.

"We are starting an ambush. This is a very dangerous move for both us Crystallics and the Shifters. But when I look at you, I don't see just soldiers. I see friends, family. Strong, brave individuals who had stood by each other's side and had never _ever_ backed down from a fight!" Owlflame exclaimed. The crowd and I shifted excitedly, blood rushed in my ears and I can't seem to stop shaking.

' _Don't get too excited to meet that laniary.'_ Zircon mumbled while snacking on a bag of potato chips in my mindscape and littering everywhere.

"Today, we face a danger like none before. As your general, your friend, and as your sister. I ask you to fight one more time! For Crystallics!" she yowled. And the crowd answered with deafening cheers and encouraged yowls. I puffed up my chest proudly as Owlflame's eyes gleamed with the same expression.

"For Crystallics!"

"For Crystallics!"

"For Crystallics!"

***BTL***

I stared a the four cat line, alone. The rest of the Shifter far behind me, in the camp.

 _Awww, cute Blue eyes is a traitor._ Levin said, faking despair to hide his true feelings.

' _I really hoped it didn't have to be like this._ ' I told him, ' _I really believed that._ '

A white she-cat with gray ears, paws, and fluffy grey tail stepped forward, a slight shake in her legs and a cold, steel mask over her face.

"Twilight." I breathed.

The forest seemed to wrap around us, encasing us, just like that nightmare that won't stop repeating in my dreams. Her haloed frost blue eyes drilling into mine, the tension in the air ever present.

"Why are you here," I said calmly, watching this new Twilight's every move. She copied my voice, my tone, and my face.

"We're here to declare war." She announced, the cats behind her bending down to pounce, their Crystals taking shape above each of them.

 _This is one hundred percent a trap~_ Levin warned, stating the obvious like the guy he was.

' _I know._ ' I replied, silently gritting my teeth. Parts of a plan floated around in my mind, refusing to come together in the face of pressure and stress.

' _Levin._ ' I commanded, feeling him perk up, ' _go back and get Aspen and half of the shifters, yell at them if you need to.'_

He materializes right beside me, lingering for no more than a second before dashing off to the camp, leaving shocked and incredulous stares from three of the four Crystallics. Twilight just stared at me intensely, as if waiting for an answer.

"I really hoped this never happened, Twilight," I said, glancing at Twilight, shrugging,"I guess Starclan really couldn't do anything."

"Get him." Was all she said.

The black apprentice pounce first, her amber eyes shining under the pale moon, her pet not far behind.

"I didn't know that Crystallics were this bloodthirsty," I said, sidestepping the cat and raking the under-belly of the Crystal, making it reel back in apparent pain.

The older black and white cat dropped down from the trees behind me, her Crystal in the leaves, staring at me with beady, black eyes.

"Nhug." I kicked her in the face, fending off the white one and her pet as well. A missed swipe, an injured leg. Then I bit down on the brown tabby on the ear, raked my unsheathed claws on his belly and listened to his cry of anguish.

"Patchpelt!" the white one call after hearing his cry, her body limp on the stone floor. I dropped Patchpelt, feeling his body land in front of my paws, the blood pooling under him.

' _...I don't like the feeling of death._ ' I grimace at the body, the images of Blaze flashing through my mind, nausea swimming in my stomach.

"Ragh!" A white blur crashed into me, her teeth ripping at my flesh. I febbly tried to kick her off, only feeling her fangs dig deeper.

"Damnit!" I growled, wishing Levin would arrive sooner as the other Crystallic piled onto me, trying to tear me to pieces as I bit down on my screams.

' _This is it, the end for me…_ ' I thought dejectedly as my energy drained out of my wounds, staring at the cats' rage filled eyes. Then thunder cracked, or so I thought.

 _I'm back!_ The sound of Levin's oddly cheery voice rang throughout the battleground, the sounds of wing beats and thundering feet not far behind. The of feeling of hope and dread filled me, the two swirling around like snakes on a fence.

"Chief!" Aspen's figure blurred and grew and an eagle flew in her place, picking up Twilight and tossing her off into the bushes, her crystal forming only then, a plume of angry red raising behind her. One sweep of Levin's body sent the rest crashing to the ground beside me, ice forming on them and burning them. The brown tabby laid on the ground, slowly bleeding to death as he was trampled by a squad of four, chasing after the recovering Crystallics.

"You don't disappoint," I told Levin, leaning on him for support.

 _I serve for the rest of your life,_ he chirped in reply, watching Aspen shift into a cougar to bit the blue jay, who was squinting water at her.

 _You should also watch out for the incoming explosion_ he warned, using ice to form a pair of sunglasses.

"What!?" I said, shock and panic breaking the usual mask of steel. I turned to the battle, already so much blood on the ground, and shouted.

"Shifters! Behind me! Now!" And they hesitantly obeyed, leaping behind me as I will an ice wall to form.

"What's your problem?" Someone behind me yelled. A split second later, a pillar of cold fire shot up into the sky, pushing against my wall and shaking the ground.

"I take it back." the voice whimpered.

"Flyers, charge!" I commanded, turning to face the shifters, "Now!" Half of them shifted and darted right into the fading fire as I willed my wall to shot forward, crashing into the forest and clearing the trees. Then it melted into burning pieces of ice, allowing the land-bound shifters to charge into battle again, more bloodthirsty than ever.

Then someone ripped my right ear off cleanly, the blood flowing down my mussel and into my mouth.

"Darn!" I winced, facing the Crystallic deputy who was still holding my severed ear.

"That's for taunting us, fleabag!" She shouted, dropping my ear as more Crystallics gathered behind her.

' _I really hate transforming too._ ' I thought begrudgingly as I forced myself into a form of a dragon, two cats high and three foxes long. The deputy's bear came out, it's fur the colour of sap, and charged.

I roared, shaking the leaves on trees and the limp bodies of cats, and met the bear in the middle, locking claws in a wrestling match. The other Crystallics latched onto my tail, ripping at the open wounds with their crystals. I grabbed the bear's waist, lifted him off the ground and tossed him onto the spear-like stumps of the ravaged trees.

Owlflame watched her Crystal dissolve into dust, being blown away by the wind.

"N-no!" She growled as everyone turned to stare at us, tense silence overtaking the bloody battlefield. I pounce on her, grabbing her by her throat and lifted her into the air.

"Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, KILL!" the shifters started chanting, raising their heads and baring their teeth.

"KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL!" like a pack of rabid wolves, they pushed off their duelling partner with fiery in their eyes.

"GIVE US VENGEANCE!" They hollered, paws stomping.

 _Time to choose._ A long forgotten voice told me, _the Shifters or War?_

I raised my wings, bloating out the sun for Owlflame. I saw my eyes reflected off of hers, shining a putrid yellow like a full moon.

"..." I pinned her to the ground. And used my right claw to rip her still beating heart out. The brown speckled she-cat went limp, covered in her own blood, the fear never left her eyes.

***BTL***

I stared as Saber's claws penetrated Owlflame's chest, and pulled out without hesitation. Then a heartbeat later blood came splashing out of the young General's huge wound, and she fell to the ground before having a chance to let out a screech of agony. All the Crystallics watched with disbelief while the Shifters gave a good chuckle and continued on their bloodthirsty tasks.

I released my grip on Bluebell and finished off the blue-grey she-cat by slitting her throat, not waiting to watch the blood gush out. Blood roared in my ears as I thrust myself onto Saber, who just transformed back into his cat form. He dodged past my blow, and stood beside the dead General's body, watching silently.

"Owlflame!" I screeched and landed beside Owlflame whose body lay motionless on the ground, blood pooling underneath her. Saber watched calmly while I glared at him.

"You'll pay for this." I hissed and thrust my claws at him, the brown tabby jumped sideways and nipped at my left ear, leaving a nick there. I made a sharp turn and leaped onto Saber's back and left a fresh scar on his back. The brown tabby shook me off violently and crouched, a blow aimed at my belly. I felt my heart lurched as I realized my kits might not survive this blow. I was twisting on a weird angle, Zircon's too far away to help, and my paws weren't fast enough to turn at this point.

 _Nothing can save my kits now._ I sealed my eyes shut in horror and tried to curl myself into a ball to reduce pressure on my unborn kits. I almost let out a horrified scream as I fell from the air, doing my best to dodge the incoming blow. A force dragged me up by the scruff at the last moment, my paws barely touching solid ground, and my kits were safe.

 _My kits are safe._ I blinked open my eyes and found myself staring into Saber's green and brown eyes, who was staring back into mine. My pelt felt hot with embarrassment as the brown tabby put me back down as gently as he could as if I'm a fragile kit. I stared at the ground, both confused, sad, angry, _and_ glad. Cries of agony and yowls of triumph filled the cool night air, but the world seemed to dissolve around us and there are only us two. I didn't dare look up at these eyes now, afraid to see anger, disgust, or even hate.

"Twilight." he meowed. I answered with a small whimper.

"Twilight, look at me." Saber meowed softly. I raised my head and stared at the brown tabby I once knew so well and loved deeply. _But he killed someone. He_ killed _Owlflame._ I backed away from Saber, not knowing what to feel.

"I didn't have a choice." he meowed simply with a hint of pain behind his steel mask.

"No, you did," I hissed, "now you are one of them. Bloodthirsty and ruthless killers." Saber frowned, ringed brown tail swishing behind him. Blood pulsed through my ears and I fought to stay in control, not letting my evil side take control. Saber opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.

"You never care about anyone! You never notice anything!" I snarled, flexing my claws. Saber just stared at me, odd coloured eyes wide.

"You never notice _me_. You never care about me, and you still don't know and don't _wanna_ know about your kits!" I stared hard at Saber's sheathed claws, refusing to look up again.

"Tell me. _Saber. Tell me._ " Then I stomped away without waiting for an answer. When I looked back, he was gone. I surveyed the mess around me, trying to find him, but no use. I felt a tingle of wetness swept across my cheeks. I licked them off, then realizing I'm crying. _Saber… You snake hearted bastard. You never answered my question!_

" _You_ fox-breathed Crystallic!" a voice screamed behind me and I dodged before a dark grey badger landed on the spot a few kitten steps away from me. It's sharp amber eyes fixed on me and swung it's heavy armoured claws at me. I was exhausted, and my long, snow white fur dragged me down, but I refused to give up.

"Badger heart!" I hissed and aimed a flaming blow at his left eye. I felt my flames froze his eye and the Shifter let out a screech of fury. A mass of flaming feathers thrust itself on the huge badger and ripped it's throat. The badger let out a final cry of agony and blurred, dropping dead onto the ground as Rocky.

"Zircon!" I yelped in surprise and jumped onto the phoenix and rubbed my head on him, messing up his feathers while he just rolled his eyes. Through my crystal's burning feathers, I saw a gigantic bear a size even bigger than Owlflame's grizzly and let out a furious roar and the all cats stopped fighting. Crystals returned to their Crystallics' mindscapes and Shifters shifted back to their catselves.

"This war needs to be stopped _now_." A familiar voice announced. My eyes widened as I recognized the huge bear's odd coloured eyes. _Saber!_

"StarClan is displeased with it! Even the stars disappear and the moon hides its face from us!" Clouds covered the moon and the stars seemed to fade away. I stared at the night sky, guilt choking me as I am the one who started all this chaos. Zircon stayed outside, watching out for me and the third patrol as he reported the deaths and badly injured cats to me.

' _We have 5 deaths and 3 badly injured Crystallics.'_ Zircon chirped, happy because he got twenty boxes of new flavoured potato chips.

' _I seriously doubt that Whitepaw is going to survive your little valentine's blow.'_ Zircon imitated Tansycreek's, who's back in Stoneclan, fan girl voice. My muscles tightened at the mention of Saber's name. Zircon seemed to notice that and returned to my mindscape to start on his new potato chips.

"Crystallics!" I called, "come to me. We're going home now! The war is over!" as Crystallics gathered around me, their expressions grimmed as their General's body is discovered. The third patrol walked out of the surrounding bushes looking pissed off. Lightningstreak stalked up to me and growled in my face.

"HOW COULD YOU JUST MAKE US WATCH OUR CLANMATES DIE?! YOU SNAKE HEART!" I resisted the urge to bristle and growl back and I tried to remain calm and explain.

"We were on the downside in the battle. I wanted to reserve our best sergeants for the survival of the clan, um, army."

"Wolfclaw and Tigerwing. Would you please organize the Crystallics to go back home and carry the other's bodies back? I need to talk to someone. It is very important and it matters to this army's survival. Do you understand?" I commanded to my most trusted sergeants. They both nodded and trotted away to organize the crowd. I turned and ran to the direction where Saber had gone.

 _I need an answer!_

"Wait!" A voice stopped me. I spun around and glared, surprised to see Lightningstreak standing behind me.

"What?!" I meowed a little too impatiently. The muscular black tom flexed his claws, his golden eyes burning with anger.

"You're the new General now," he hissed, "so you _need_ to go back to camp and have a discussion with us sergeants about the new colonel." I let out a long, heavy sigh. My shoulders slumped at the weight of the whole army.

"Okay. Thanks for reminding me." I mumbled and brushed past Lightningstreak, the black tom's eyes twinkled with distest and ambition.

 _Looks like someone is eager to take power._


	10. The Beat of Life

Thank you so much for the review and nice comment! We are trying to improve our grammar and storylines to make reading easier. We really enjoy writing this novel, your support means a lot to us! Thank you so much! 3 :)  
~Zer0

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Chapter 10

The Beat of Life

Rocky was dead. Not that I cared. I would've just forced him to retire anyway, the old, stubborn shifter was a weak link and REALLY annoying to deal with. Bluebell was dead too. So was Clover, Nala and Ginger, an apprentice.

' _I have to replace Plum's mentor and promote some kits… and that meeting…_ '

"Damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit." I groaned, climbing up the rock to announce to all the shifters.

"All cats who can sustain themselves, listen to me!" I shouted, Aspen coming right beside the stone I sat on.

"There have been few deaths in our scuffle with the Crystallics," I announced to the crowd of wounded and tired Shifters.

"Rocky has died, and Plum needs a new teacher." I scanned the ground for a kind soul, to keep the new generation on the right path.

"Smokey." He looked up, his front legs wrapped in spider webs, "Do you accept my offer?"

"Of course, Chief!" He said proudly, giving me a salute.

"Ivyk- ahm Ivy" I swept the field until I found the dark mackerel tabby, staring at me with cold eyes, "I believe you are ready." she stared harder, bordering on glaring.

"If he was to agree, your mentor will be…" the whole camp seemed to shut up in an instant.

"Choco."

"Of course!" said the white lynx point young tabby tom, puffing up his chest proudly. The others just stared.

"I will be leaving for a meeting soon, Aspen will command you for the duration I am gone." I added, "Dismissed." and the cats scattered, the sound of mumbling filling the air.

"Are you ready to leave?" Aspen asked as she watched me jump down.

"Yes." I said, "You know where to find me if the Crystallics attack again."

"The Sun Demon's hollow, yes?" I nodded. Aspen, satisfied, turned and started barking orders at the shifters.

' _She reminds me so much of Leopardfang…_ ' I thought, transforming into a dragon.

' _... and of all the StoneClan memories. I wonder how Kestralstar has been._ '

I took off, flying towards the setting sun, toward where Hati lived.

 **Skoll is displeased** with me, as expected.

***BTL***

I gulped down the travelling herbs while waiting for Silentmist to finish up with the injured cats. The camp was more organized than I'd thought it would be. With Shadecloud lining up the wounded in front of the medicine den to be treated, Stormtail and Wolfclaw gathering cats to help to clean up, guard the camp, or gather more herbs, and Fawnleaf comforting the deceased's families. I watched with awe, silently sending thankful prayers to Starclan.

Soon the beautiful silver tabby she-cat touched noses with the last cat and trotted up to me, green eyes dim with grief.

"We'll honour the deceased once we get home. Starclan will light their paths." I rested my tail on the medicine cat's slumped shoulder once we padded out of the entrance. Silentmist nodded in silence and took the lead, heading for the mountains.

As soon as our paws touched the cold, rough stone surface of the mountains, I felt my art ache as the pull of homesickness drew me closer and closer to Stoneclan territory. Silentmist doesn't seem to notice Stoneclan cat scents getting stronger and stronger while we climbed the border slope between Skyclan and Stoneclan. I begged for a Stoneclan patrol to pass by, but the scents were not as fresh and it seemed that the patrol had passed by a few moments ago. My shoulders slumped as Stoneclan territory was soon behind us and we stepped into Skyclan territory.

"I don't suppose you Crystallics, I mean we, are friends with Skyclan?" I asked. Silentmist just gave me a weird look.

"Look, the five clans share a moonpool with us even though they don't know it. And the way through Skyclan territory is the fastest route to the moonpool. There. Do you understand now?" explained the silver tabby she-cat. I nodded in awe, remembering the elders in Stoneclan had said we use a crystal pillar that shone like a billion stars called the Pyre to communicate with Starclan.

"Hurry up, Twilightfall. We're wasting moonlight with you standing here like a mouse brain." I blinked, realizing I had been dazing out.

"Sorry!" I meowed and raced up to the steel masked medicine cat.

When we finally crossed Skyclan territory, Silentmist lead me into a stone hollow. Soon a small pool, situated at the bottom of the stone hollow came into view.

On one side, there is a steep cliff with water flowing out from a cleft, feeding the star-lit pool. There is an underground stream leading out of the pool. A narrow path dimpled with ancient pawprints leads down to a flat stone "beach" next to the pool. I gasped at the sight, unable to move or speak. Silentmist nudged me to the edge of the water and urged me to lap up the water. I did as I was told. The water felt cold under my tongue, and I soon drifted into sleep.

When I blinked open my eyes again, the cold, smooth stone surface under my paws gave way to soft new-lead grass. Sweet scents of flowers and life flooded into my mouth. A star-lit path I recognized as Silverpelt shone quietly and beautifully a few fox-lengths away from me. I wanted to let out screams of delight, roll on the starry grass and play like a kit in the starry forest. Then, the stars in Silverpelt slowly started forming into cats, and they all whispered together, like one but yet as many.

"Twilightfall, are you ready to receive your nine lives?" I forced a trembling scream back down my throat and nodded. They gathered around me, starlit eyes twinkling as Silentmist dipped her head respectfully to them. I breathed, stabbing myself with my claws to make sure this is real.

 _Starclan cats!_ A silverish white she-cat with grey ringed tail padded forward.

"Mother!" I called, recognizing her as the starry furred cat I met when I was a kit in Stoneclan. She nuzzled my head fondly, jade haloed eyes blinked at me fondly.

"I am so proud of you, my dear kit," she purred, "I have watched you from Starclan and I knew you'd be a great leader." I buried my muzzle in her soft, starry fur and breathed in her sweet scent. Then she stepped back and touched her nose on top of my head.

"With this life, I give you love. Use it to protect and care for all of your cats, and never doubt its power." I trembled as this life felt both soft and painful, like fire and ice. Mother stepped back as another cat replaced her. It was a brown tabby tom with white toes, a scar over his left eye and cheerful jade green eyes.

"Hello, my name is Morning Leaf and I am the first leader of Stoneclan, once Tribe of The Iron Mountains. I stretched my neck to touch noses with the tall tom.

"With this life, I give you trust," he meowed as this life scorched through me, "believe in your army and yourself, and never doubt the right path to take." I gritted my teeth to force back a whimper. Morning Leaf is soon replaced by a slender black and white she-cat. I purred loudly as Breezefrost, who had been the first victim of this war between the Shifters and Crystallics, touched noses with me.

"With this life, I give you loyalty. Stay loyal to what you know is right and your army, even in the hardest times. " I dug my claws into the ground as the life flooded in me and stuffed every nerve until I felt I was going to explode.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have started a war. You and the others would be safe at camp sharing tongues if I haven't done wh-what I had done." I meowed apologetically between gasps of pain. Breezefrost just smiled and dipped her head before being replaced by a tall, pelt grey furred creature. Its pale blue eyes shone with pride and happiness. I almost let out a scream of joy and surprise as I recognized Echeveria pale grey pelt.

"Echeveria! What happened?! Why are you in Starclan?" I questioned, nuzzling against her shoulders. The motherly wolf said nothing as she bent down her head and touched noses with me.

"With this life, I give you protection. Protect your cats like a mother protecting her pups. " I opened my mouth to let out more questions, but Echeveria shushed me with a soft but determined look in her starry eyes.

"I am really, really proud of you, darling. You are like grandchildren to me," the pale grey wolf praised as she flashed a warm look at my mother who stood not far behind, "I only travelled here to give you this life. Protect your cats like I'd protected my wolves even at the last moment of my life." then she turned and vanished into sparkles of stars. I did not have time to grief as the fifth cat padded up to me. It was a dark ginger tabby she-cat, her yellow eyes shone with happiness and pride as she saw me.

"Ginger! Oh, I'm so sorry that I thought you were annoying. You were so welcoming and friendly to me! I wish you'd survived, but… I'm sorry." my eyes dimmed as my old friend just shook her head, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh, Twilight. It's not your fault." Ginger purred as she touched her nose to my forehead.

"With this life, I give you optimism. Use it to enlighten your clan during dark times, for many of them are approaching," she whispered before bonding back to the starry furred cats. I stared after her, refusing to believe such a cheerful and mindless cat can speak such dark words. Soon a handsome, muscular black tom strode towards me, golden eyes gleaming with pride and wisdom.

"Darkthunder! I-I thought you were in the elder's den, a-and you never showed signs of weakness. H-how did this happen?..." I gasped. The former general purred with amusement as I stared at him in awe. The cat's greying muzzle had turned black as night, his strides had been full of strength and not trembling weakness, and his eyes gleamed like the brightest stars in Silverpelt.

"I am very proud of you, Twilightfall. I have always known that accepting you into the army was the right thing to do. Now that I have escaped old age and joined Starclan, I was able to watch you in that war. It was brutal, but you fought well. At the end, it was wise of you to agree to stop this meaningless war. You'd be a great leader." Darkthunder praised as he bent down to touch noses with me.

"With this life, I give you wisdom and strength. Use it well to carry the burden of leadership." I hissed as pain shot up through me, but after it, my limbs felt strong and my mind seemed to run quicker.

By the time I recovered the black tom had gone back to sit with the others. A petite silver grey she-cat with bright, haloed green eyes had padded up to me, her gaze proud and affectionate. I cocked my head sideways as I did not recognize this she-cat, but the way she looked at me is particularly _too_ fondly and passionately.

"Hello, Twilight. As you may not remember, I raised you with Snowblossom at your father's place. Oh, you might not know of your mother's name yet. Snowblossom is her name, and I'm Silverpool her sister." the silver she-cat explained. I nodded, but I guess Silverpool saw the confusion in my eyes, so the silver she-cat just hurried to touch noses with me.

"With this life, I give you bravery to stare the enemy in the eyes. Use it well, little niece." This life oozed through me, slightly painful but mostly uncomfortable. I shook my pelt and waited patiently for the next cat to come forward. I almost jumped out of my pelt as I realized a small kit was already waiting, ghostly pale blue eyes staring intensely into mine.

"Oh, um, why hello there." I meowed awkwardly, licking my chest fur in embarrassment. The kit did not respond. Only did I crouched down for him to touch noses with him I realized the kit looked like a kit version of Saber.

"With this life, I give you sight. So you are not blinded by ambition and temptation. I hope you will not lead the life I lead." then the kit turned coldly and padded back. Confusion clouded me as images of Saber and this unfamiliar kit swung around in my head.

Only did a familiar voice awake me from my reverie. I raised my gaze to stare into a pair of round amber eyes.

"Owlflame! It's good to see you. How are you doing?" I nuzzled against my former general's ear.

"I have missed you and the others, but I like it in Starclan." Owlflame purred, then touched noses with me.

"With this life, I give you nobility, certainty, and faith. Use it well as you lead your army in the ways of Starclan and the warrior code. For that the path ahead is dark and blood will be spilled." she whispered and stepped back. The speckled brown she-cat threw her head back and yowled.

"I hail you by your noble name, Twilightfall. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a general, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of the Crystallics. Defend them well, care for the young and old, honour your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code, live each life with pride and dignity." The Starclan warriors all stood up and chanted my name.

"Twilightfall!"

"Twilightfall!"

"Twilightfall!" I stood in a shower of star rain with my ancestors chanting my name.

' _Congrats, idiot. You've become general now.'_ Zircon chirped playfully. I let out a yowl of triumph as darkness swallowed me and I woke up to the moonpool again with Silentmist stood to wait.

"Did you receive your nine lives?" she asked. I nodded, excited to feel all that energy and strength in me. The silver tabby just nodded silently and got up, stretching out. I stared at her, noticing the strangeness in her every movement. I eyed her questioningly, and the medicine cat sighed heavily.

"You'll have to move into the nursery soon," she announced. I stared blankly back at my medicine cat, shocked.

"H-how did you know?!" I questioned.

"Experience. And soon every single cat can see that you're expecting kits." she meowed matter-of-factly. I stared at the silver tabby she-cat, speechless.

"Don't worry," the medicine cat yawned, "I'll take care of you. Plus, Mosscloud isn't the only queen that have had kits before. Let's go back to camp now, your cats need you."

"T-thanks, Silentmist." I meowed quietly. The silver tabby returned a warm-hearted smile, and I rushed outside with my medicine cat on my tail. I stretched outside in the early leaf fall air, enjoying every bit of sunshine on my back. Every single hair shining and outlined in gold, just like my figure.

 _Time to go back to my camp, my territory, and_ my _cats._

***BTL***

My claw clicked on the polished stone floor, the darkness within Hati's den suffocating as there were no lights. The bones littered around the grey floor did not help the growing unease in my stomach.

Soon the entrance I can from was a speck in the distance, the light pouring from it only lights up a little of the hall. In front of me was a pile of fresh carcasses, stacked up high up the cave interior. A pair of red eyes flashed on top of it.

"Mmm, a new Chief?" A voice mused, "It's been a while. A dragon too? Mmm, interesting…" the eyes narrowed as it shifted, a bird skull toppling down from above, landing right in front of my talons.

"Tell me cub, what is your name?" The voice drawled, a hint of interest coating its words. I steeled myself, digging into the stone floor with my talons.

"Saber." I managed to grunt out. The eyes narrowed again, this time playfully.

"Mmm, it talks." a shiny white-toothed smile appear below the eyes, "hahaha, isn't that adorable?" then both the eyes and the smile vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Welcome to the Trial." a black figure said, breathing on the back of my skull. I whipped my head back only to see nothing behind me.

"Where Odin gives us Life." I glanced at the mirror finish of the walls, catching the reflection of my eyes and Hati smiling wickedly behind me. Then all was dark.

***BTL***

The early morning sunshine coated my pelt in a silhouette of gold. I bounded across a clearing, scaring away snow hares and birds. A slight breeze started, carrying fresh scents of leaf fall.

 _I can't believe so much happened in such a short period of time! I was still a Stoneclan apprentice just this new-leaf! And now I'm general of the Crystallics._ I watched the sun slowly drift upwards in the pale blue sky. Silentmist was not far behind, sniffing the air hesitantly. I padded back to my medicine cat, confused.

"What's wrong, Silentmist? Did you smell a Skyclan patrol?" I meowed in alarm. The silver tabby she-cat shook her head.

"I don't understand. We're way past Skyclan territory and yet I can smell them." she meowed hesitantly. I opened my mouth and tasted the air. With Zircon taking yet another long nap, I have to stand guard for myself.

"Great Starclan, they're _close_ to us," I complained as Skyclan scent flooded me, I can almost taste their stink in my mouth.

"Close enough to shred your pelts off." a voice hissed. I spun around to see a Skyclan patrol standing behind us, a tom identical to me standing in the lead. I stared into the tom's haloed frost blue eyes, too astonished to speak. Then, for a split second, I got my voice back.

"Dusk?!"

***BTL***

" **A hybrid?** " a neon green dot appeared from the darkness, a voice accompanying its appearance.

"The hell do you want!?" I growled out on reflex, the darkness suffocating to the mind.

" **The pawn barks, but is no dog.** " the voice says, disinterest plain as day.

"HEY," I shouted, but to no avail.

" **The pawn roars, but is no lion.** " the green dot circled around me lazily. The sound of a staff pounding the ground reverberated through the 'floor'.

" **The pawn is a pawn, and nothing more. Yet it speaks.** " the dot grew larger, the thumping stopping.

" **So it is no longer a pawn, but a king imbued with life.** " It announced.

"Stop with the cryptic bullshit!" I roared, stamping the ground irritably, "I'M TIRED OF YOUR ANTICS."

" **Fine, king. Away you go.** " the voice spat. A sharp pain ripped through my stomach, the feeling similar to impalement. A stake through my chest.

***BTL***

Dusk just stared silently back at me while his patrol shifted with unease. Silence fell upon the two groups, each cat staring intensely at me and my brother. I gulped, regretting my stupid move by calling out his name since my brother denied that he knows of me. Finally, Dusk strode towards us, muscle rippling under his shiny white pelt, signs of irritation flashed in his haloed blue eyes. Silentmist tensed beside me, and I can't help but notice the long furred tom's unsheathed claws. _Stop it, Twilight. He's your_ brother _. Trust in him. Trust…_ I fluffed up my pelt to look more confident and bigger when the great white tom towered over me. Silentmist stepped forward bravely, brilliant green eyes remaining calm.

"My friend and mean no harm and no interest in your prey and land." she claimed, mimicking tribe accents, "we'll leave as soon as possible if you'll let us." The Skyclan cats exchanged glances while Dusk glanced back and forth between me and Silentmist.

"I trust that you are not intruders," he meowed, "and I hope you'll keep to your word."

"But if anyone tries to attack us during our retrieve…" I narrowed my eyes, "we'll strike back." The Skyclan patrol hissed and protested in disagreement, but Dusk ignored them and shrugged.

"Fair enough, _sister_ ," he said, his last word only audible to me. I only snapped back to reality when Silentmist's tail flickered before my nose.

"Time to go." she meowed and padded away. I only travelled a few pawsteps when Dusk blocked my path, eyes shining.

"We need to talk. Meet me on the island tomorrow at moonrise," he whispered and left with his cats mumbling at his tail. I stared at his back, lost in my own thoughts.

"We need to hurry back." Silentmist yelled a few fox-lengths away, "It's already midday." And at that, we sped up, soon leaving Skyclan territory way back behind our paws.

***BTL***

I woke up in a pool of my own crimson, red blood. Sticking to me like mud or silt. I coughed, spilling more of my life water out of me while a string of confusing memories collected in my head. I raised my head; I was still in the cave, the glossy walls shined in the dim light.

I took a shaky breath and stood up on shaking legs, dragging myself out of the cave, a trail of red following me as I went.

' _Oh Lord, oh Lord, what have I done?_ ' I hummed weakly, ' _I've fallen in love with a man on the run.'_ I looked at the setting sun, then the spot where I came from.

' _Oh Lord, oh Lord, I'm beggin' you please._ ' I shifted into an eagle, too tired to take the form of something bigger.

' _Don't take that sinner from me._ ' I checked on my wound, the hole in my chest. Then looked back east.

' _Oh,_ ' I took off in a flurry of loose, bloody feathers, ' _Don't take that sinner from me~_ '

***BTL***

I sat at the edge of the water, shivering in the cool leaf-fall breeze. The island's sweet pine scent filled my mouth as I examined my surroundings. The surface of the lake was as smooth as black glass. In the dark watery mirror was the Silverpelt and the rising moon, starlight so old and so young.

The only sounds were the heavy echo of a raven croaking and the water lapping against the shore. The dreamy scene almost brought me to sleep when the ruffling sounds of a cat walking towards me snapped me out of it.

I turned to see Dusk padding towards me. His once snowy white pelt now dark red with blood dripping down his ripped ears and a gash on his side. Ringed blue eyes still bright, he met my shocked gaze.

"Tell me what happened." I pleaded, sniffing his spider web covered wounds.

"Shifter. I saw it this morning when I was out with the hunting patrol. It turned into a huge badger and surprise attacked me and my … clanmates." he meowed, looking uncomfortable. I paused, a million questions filled me, but I have a more important question.

"What do you want to talk about?" I questioned. The snowy white tom hesitated before giving a reply.

"I...want to join the Crystallics," while I stared at him blankly, he continued, "I have long sensed that there are similar cats like me, er, us, living as a clan near Skyclan."

"Wait…" I opened my mouth, but Dusk shushed me with a pleading but determined look.

"Nobody can understand my struggle in Skyclan," Dusk meowed firmly with a hint of pain in his voice, "only the cats that shared the same power and struggle with me will."

"Wait, I don't understand…" the world swirled around me, a huge headache nearly made me faint.

"I am a Crystallic, Twilight." A globe of brilliant white light formed around Dusk, not swallowing him but growing from him. A deafening shriek filled the air as something twisted free from Dusk's mindscape. At once I felt my powers bubbling up from the deep, then as a ray of fiery red light engulfed me, Zircon shot up to the sky with a fearsome cry. The creature that was perched on the light globe suddenly spread out its silvery wings and flew after Zircon. A trail of zapping energy following it's highlighted nine feathered tails.

A white electric phoenix.

I froze, staring into Dusk's once brilliant blue eyes fade to a silvery grey.

"Crystallic," I whimpered, trembling, "you're a Crystallic!"

***BTL***

"Chief?" I drifted lamely back to camp, barely awake as I crashed into the dirt, body shifting back into my cat form.

"Chief!"

"Listen to me!"

"Someone get the medi-cat!"

"He's losing heat!"

 _I feel warm… is this death...?_ I slowly moved my eyes to look up. Willow, I don't remember talking to her before, frantically wrapping my torso with spider webs.

"You did so much for this camp!" I drowsily scanned to the area around me.

"You're not allowed to die! We still need you, dammit!" the voice was getting farther, distant as my vision darkened.

 _Is it finally over? Can I rest, at last?_


	11. A Phoenix's Feather

Chapter 11

A Phoenix's Feather

It was bright when I awoke. There was no searing pain in my torso anymore, replaced by a numbness I wasn't used to. I looked around, spotting pale, the colour drained trees that made up Star Clan's fields. A lake could be seen afar.

"I really am dead, aren't I?" I asked no one.

"No, you're not." I tensed up, not expecting an answer. I turned my head around to see a pale ginger tabby tom with a black-ringed tail padding toward me, eyes hazy and cloudy.

"...I know you." I said, hesitantly, not sure if I was right or not.

The cat snorted, giving me a lopsided grin.

"Course you do, _Saberpaw_." he shot out my name like acid, "Kestralstar is bloody suffering, hell, _StoneClan_ is suffering because of this _damn war_." I flinched as he got worked up, the constant spitting on the grass wasn't helping.

"You're not allowed to die until you fix this _damn mess you've made_ , _you hear me?_ " Dawnlight was snarling now, his coat of glittering stars glowing brighter than before. I sighed,

"It's that nightmare all over again. Guess I can't stop it… can I?" Dawnlight, unflinching, snorted.

"No. But you'd better fix the damn thing." And he nudged me back to life. Because that's a thing StarClan cats always do.

***BTL***

We padded on silently with the giant Thunderclan trees loomed above us, the soft, damp soil sucking away the sound of our footsteps. Upon the forest floor lie trees of yesteryear, fallen in storms long forgotten. It was early morning, the sky still as black as night. I took a deep breath. The air is rich with the fragrance of leaves and loam, fresh scents hinted that there is prey around. But I wasn't in the mood of hunting.

"What are we going to do after we arrive? It's still too early for awn patrols." Dusk asked quietly. I hesitated. For a while, only the sound of soft footsteps and our breathing can be heard. I had agreed to take Dusk back to the army shortly after our conversation just a while ago. Now we're heading back to the camp. _I wonder if Starclan agrees with my decision._

"I could just slip through the dirt place and go back to my den after you wait outside. I'll wait for a few moments to leave enough scent for my army to believe I was there the whole time. Then I'll 'find' you when I go to the dirt place again." I decided. As the journey passes, sunlight rouses more colours from their sleepy monochrome and, though the road still has the black look of the night, the sky is already more bluish than charcoal.

"The camp is right there around that white spruce tree. You see? Wait here, I'll be back soon." I meowed and dashed for the dirt place without waiting for an answer.

I quickly squeezed through the narrow entrance through the dirt place, then stopped behind the fallen tree, carefully spotting for guards. Mapledawn was sitting beside the entrance, his bright orange pelt was clearly visible in the near dark. The warrior's hazel eyes were alert, mouth open, scenting for any hints of danger. I praised him silently for being a good guard, then silently retrieved into my den. Unfortunately, things weren't going to corporate with me. I slipped on the wet moss under my paws and let out a tiny squeak. _Fox dung!_ I felt an ever slight kick in my belly as I scrambled up. _I'll need to move the nursery soon. I need to end this all before my kits are due._

"Who's there?" I heard Mapledawn question, the young warrior's voice was trembling.

"I-it's me, Mapledawn," I answered, pretending to be calm but clearly failed, " I was just going to the dirt place, then I slipped. Sorry." The bright orange tom squinted at my direction, then spotted me awkwardly shaking off moss in my pelt.

"No worries " Mapledawn replied simply. I padded to the young soldier and praised him for being very alert. The bright orange tom's hazel eyes were bright. After that, I headed towards the dirt place. Nervousness turned my stomach upside down. _Oh Starclan, please let this work._ I slowed to a stop when I saw Dusk waiting behind a bush, looking very nervous. I did a countdown silently. _Three, two, one…_ I screamed. Dusk jumped, looking like he is about to run away. But the white tom hesitated and saw me standing a few fox-lengths away from him, then decided to stay.

"Twilightfall?" Mapledawn rushed to my side, then he saw Dusk facing me. The young orange soldier immediately hurdled himself towards the white tom with a deafening yowl. The whole camp was awake now, with soldiers sprinting out of their dens and screaming "Intruders", excited trainees spinning in circles and searching for enemies, queens screaming for help while trying to gather their younglings, and disturbed and grumpy elders trying to stay asleep despite the chaos.

I froze on the spot, staring at my brother and my soldier fighting viciously, trying to claw each other's pelts off.

 _What am I supposed to do now?!_

***BTL***

As soon as I jerked awake, I regretted that moment. I felt like I was gutted, sewn back together with a fishing hook then they feed me solid food only for me to spit it back out. Which I now proceed to do. I vomited out some brown stuff… I don't really know what it was, but it smelled like two-leg trash.

But that smell wasn't what reached me first. It was how much everything _hurt._ I guess it was to be expected after being stabbed, gutted then put back together.

"*Gasp*" I swivelled my head around to see Willow standing there in shock, a clump of spider webs at her paws.

"Good morning, Willow." I said, keeping the pained tone to a minimum, "I really messed up, didn't I?"

I laughed dryly as she stared on, shaking in the cave entrance.

"You big idiot." she hissed.

***BTL***

"Mapledawn! Down!" I screamed. The two toms finally parted, panting. Mapledawn turned to me, eyes wide with shock. Dusk shook his pelt free of scratched out fur and padded to my side without a word. Wolfclaw and Tigerwing broke through the long grass, eyes alert and hackles raised. _Now that's some great warriors, er, soldiers. But not at this moment, please._ The two sergeants stared at the situation, speechless. A few heartbeats later, more cats rushed out and spotted us.

"What's happening?" Iceclaw questioned.

"Where the invaders?" Whitepaw meowed.

"Who is he?" Shadecloud narrowed her gaze on Dusk.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Lightningstreak shouted. More confused meows and yowls showered me while I struggled to take another breath in the chaos.

"BACK TO THE FALLEN TREE! WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS! NO MORE QUESTIONS UNTIL THEN!" I finally snapped, forcing back another growl of frustration. _Things can't get any more worse than this._ The cats grumbled and slowly backed away, clearing a path for me and Dusk into the camp. I hopped onto the fallen tree and motioned Dusk to sit right next to me on the sandy floor. More cats streamed out from their dens, unhappy mumbles filled the clearing. When all the cats sat down and the crowd fell silent, I opened my mouth to speak.

"Crystallics, I apologize for waking you up at such an early hour. If you are feeling uneased, everything is okay. It was a false alarm. Now," I called Dusk to stand up in front of the crowd, "This is my brother, Duskrise." the Crystallics started to talk again, suspense tugged at every cat's hearts.

"He is also a Crystallic." I meowed.

"Tanzanite the Phoenix," Dusk added.

"Duskrise would be joining our army as your temporary deputy. He served as a deputy in Skyclan before, so there is no need to question his abilities. " I announced. The crowd immediately divided into little groups of unhappy cats, confusion and anger sharpening their words. I ignored all this and turned to Dusk. The white tom looked as shocked as the other Crystallics. His haloed blue eyes were wide. I sighed and motioned Stormtail, who looked calmer than the other Sergeants, to come forward.

"This is Stormtail," I meowed to my puzzled brother, "he will tell you about every single cat in this camp and teach you the rules of us Crystallics after the ceremony." The dappled dark grey tom nodded expressionlessly, dark blue eyes clouded with something I cannot read.

"Crystallics!" I called. The crowd gathered again with mixed expressions with some cats yelling angrily at me and some looking puzzled. When all was quiet again, I raised my head to the rising sun, letting the early light shower me in streaks of gold. _The Crystallics needs something to make them happy again with Dusk suddenly becoming their deputy._

"Whitepaw, would you come forward please." I meowed. The trainee looked confused as she stood up and edged towards me, but a heartbeat later when Breezefrost let out a huge gasp and complained about how she didn't have time to lick the leaves off her daughter, Whitepaw's eyes brightened. The black she-cat bounced towards me, tail high up above her head. When she leaped on the fallen tree, I took a deep breath and started on the ancient words spoken countless times by my ancestors. _You may NOT mess up, Twilight._

"I, Twilightfall, general of the Crystallics, call upon my ancestors to look down on this in training. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a soldier in her turn." I meowed rather shakily and hoped for the cats to ignore it. Watching Whitepaw's excited amber eyes with a hint of sadness, I took another deep breath. _The trainee is still mourning for her lost sister._

"Whitepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" I meowed loudly for everyone to hear. The black she-cat was trembling with excitement and nervousness. But her voice was extremely calm and determined.

"I do." she meowed.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your soldier name. Whitepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Whitefern. StarClan honours your helpfulness and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full soldier of the Crystallics army." I felt my muzzle touch her furry forehead and a soft lick on my shoulder after those words. The whole army chanted her name with Breezefrost screaming the loudest.

"You'll be an excellent soldier," I whispered before pulling away. The former apprentice gave me a thankful look and bounced down to greet the whole army's warm praises and congratulates.

"Whitefern! Whitefern! Whitefern!" After the voices died down, I called Willowmist's kits to me. I gave them their apprentice names, Stonepaw mentored by Falconflight, Rowanpaw mentored by Fawnleaf, and Jawpaw mentored by me. The new apprentices squirmed under their mother's furious licks and the whole army's chants.

"Jaypaw! Stonepaw! Rowanpaw! Whitefern!" I leaped down from the fallen tree and stood amongst my cats, calling out their names proudly. The Dusk case forgotten, I felt happy and complete for the first time in those days. I purre when I felt a slight kick in my stomach and a feeling of nausea.

 _My kits are coming soon. And I'm ready to welcome them into this world._

***BTL***

"Willow…" I coughed.

"B-but you almost-!" She argued as I stood up, limping to her side.

"Shhh." I whispered, "I'm alive, you did well." She stared at me in shock, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I-I didn't know what I would do if you died!" She turned her gaze to the ground, "You brought _peace_ into the camp! Something I wished for so long!"

She started sobbing, her choked cries only a whisper in the breeze.

"If it weren't for you, Zig would be dead by now… t-thank y-you…" She whimpered. I smiled wearily.

"No, thank you." I said warmly, "Without you, this clan would have all died of infection and disease."

"C-chief…"

"Now, how 'bout you help me to Aspen?"

"Oh… right!" Willow hurried to my right, propping up my injured shoulder. We then set off toward the boulder.

***BTL***

I yawned lazily and stretched in my den, kicking dried moss all over the stone floor. After the tour around Crystallic territory yesterday, I was as exhausted as Jaypaw. The morning sun streamed into the small cave from its entrance, illuminating the smooth pebbles scattered on the cold stone floor. I got up and padded out my cave after grooming myself. A purr rose from my throat when I paused on the flat stone outside my cave. Bathing in the golden sunlight, breathing in the fresh air, and listening to my clanmates' casual chatters. It was one of those peaceful days I dreaded for the past three moons. The dawn patrol had already returned. Falconflight, Stonepaw, Snowflame, and Shadecloud were sitting at the fresh-kill pile, sharing tongues. I spotted Jaypaw and Rowanpaw hopping around Stonepaw excitedly while the dark grey tom managed to gulp down his mice and tell the story of his first dawn patrol. _Also a purrfect day for a first and formal hunting lesson._

I turned and went on to find Dusk and Stormtail huddled together beside the fallen tree, discussing something quietly.

"How was it? Your first day of being a Crystallic deputy?" I meowed briskly as the two raised their heads to greet my approach.

"It was _great_ ," my brother's eyes were bright, "Stormtail even showed Zan and me how to mark our territory with electricity! He also taught me how to use pebbles to keep track of how many cats are in the camp, and how many are not!" he announced proudly like an apprentice who just fought their first battle. I could see Stormtail was suppressing a purr of amusement as he nodded agreement.

"We sent Lightningstreak, Willowmist, Hawkwing, and Finchfeather out on a border patrol. Tigerwing is also leading a hunting patrol beside the Shifter territory. Fawnleaf and Rowanpaw are going to Sandy Grounds for a hunting lesson after they eat." Dusk added.

"Great! I'd like to join them with Jawpaw." I meowed. Dusk nodded and carefully picked up two pebbles from a pile and dropped them into another pile of the same, round pebbles found in my cave.

"Now I know where _my_ pebbles _go_ all the time," I mumbled.

"I'd like to join Tigerwing." Dusk volunteered, ignoring my bitter comment.

"You'll have to be fast to catch up to them," I warned. But the white tom already ran out of camp and disappeared down the camp entrance.

"The benefits of being a deputy's mentor. You never need to get in patrols." Stormtail grumbled and dropped another pebble into a pile. I left and turned to where Rowanpaw and Fawnleaf were waiting. _It's my first time out with my first apprentice._ Jawpaw spotted the waiting patrol and trotted towards my direction, his blue eyes shining with the same excitement and nervousness that tinged through my paws. I exchanged amused glances with Fawnleaf, then set out of camp and headed towards Sandy Grounds, where in-trainings practice their hunting and battling skills.

"We're going to Sandy Grounds, where you will learn some simple hunting techniques," I announced. Rowanpaw gaped at me while Jaypaw just stiffened.

"Don't worry, it's very easy. I know you'll get it soon." Fawnleaf encouraged. The cream tabby she-cat just nodded and walked closer to her brother until their pelts touched.

"I don't think it's that hard." I heard her whisper. Jawpaw twitched his ears, looking annoyed.

"I'm not nervous. You are." he simply meowed, leaving his sister clawing at his ears with sheathed claws. The two trainees took off, chasing after their tails and each other, their happy meows filled the lively birch woods. Fawnleaf flanked me while we trotted to our destination, her ginger-brown tabby fur brushing against mine. We exchanged amused expressions and training techniques until we reached our destination. The two young in training were already waiting there, chatting excitedly. Suddenly, I paused and just watched Fawnleaf pad towards the trainees.

 _Destination… When will I reach_ my _destination?_ I shook this thought out of my mind, and quickly joined the other cats. _No depressing thoughts today, only happy ones._

"Come on, I know you can do it!" I encouraged them as they fell on their faces after their first tries. Fawnleaf had to turn around to hide the smile on her face.

"I think I'll never become a soldier!" Rowanpaw whined when she saw her teacher's shaking shoulders.

"No depressing thoughts," I told her, "only happy ones. Make it a happy day." But I wasn't exactly talking to the young cream coloured tabby she-cat. _Can a day be happy when Saber's not here?_ I let my smile wear away.

***BTL***

My revival gave way to ecstatic yowls and dismayed moans, the buzzing excitement of the apprentices and blank looks of the seniors looking for a battle. The green glint in their eyes still worries me, sending a shiver down my back as I remembered my time with the god-like being.

"Chief!" an off coloured white blur entered my vision. It was Choco with Ivy trailing close behind him.

"Theresacrystallicattheedgeofourterritoryandmaybecrosseditand-" Choco started rambling before Ivy stuck a paw on his muzzle.

"He means that there's a new guy on our territory and that the rest of the hunting group is holding them off," she said while Choco batted her paw off.

"And the new guy won't leave until he 'speaks with our boss'." The lynx point tabby finished. I twitched against Willow's support. I look at her, questioning if I was well enough.

"Ah, well...you shouldn't shift or fight. You should also have a support with you and you shouldn't strain yourself while negotiating… yeah, that's it." Willow listed off, checking the scar on my torso.

"I'll do fine, Willow," I told her, "It's probably not something too big." I turn to Choco, gesturing for him to lead the way. He opened his mouth and pointed to his left. Only to be shut up again by his apprentice.

"Don't listen to my idiot of a mentor. His sense of direction is as bad as a mole's sight." Ivy deadpanned.

"Hey!" Choco shouted indignantly, swatting away Ivy's paw.

' _I sometimes wonder who's the mentor and who's the apprentice._ ' I sweatdropped.

I followed the two of them to the western edge of the forest, where a stream creates the border. As stated, a group of crystallics were there standing on the rocks bickering with a bear, most likely whoever Aspen sent on duty.

"This is stupid," I heard on of cats say, watching a white tom with gray ears, paws, and fluffy tail shouting at the bear, who looked really bored and tired of the crap the Crystallic was throwing at him.

"I have a right to see your leader," the oddly familiar tom yelled.

' _Does he not know how to chill?_ ' I grimaced, ' _actually, I don't have a right to say that…_ '

*yawn*

I tripped.

"Chief!" Choco, the caring bugger, rushes over to me.

"I'm fine, shoo," I said, not attempting to growl.

' _Thank you for waking up and scaring the ever living shit out of me, Levin._ ' I thought sarcastically.

A pleasure to serve Levin replied with a grin on his reptilian face. He's sitting in my mindscape, curled around a tree.

I stepped next to the bear and made eye contact with it. It gave a tiny nod before backing up into our side of the woods. I turn to glare at the newcomer.

"I don't have time for this," I said as threateningly as possible. He doesn't flinch or move from his rock in the water.

"So you're their leader?" He instead asked, a hint of anger in his voice. I sneered,

"Who else would I be to have the guts to come here injured?" His eyes show a mix of fear and determination.

"For the sake of all after me," he leans back, preparing to pounce, "I'll kill you so no one else will die!" He jumps across the gap between to rock and solid land, claws unsheathed and teeth bared.

' _Did they change that story so much that it made them the good guys?_ ' I thought a split second before he reached me.

His strike connected, right on the top of my head between my ears.

"Chief!" this time Ivy jumps out.

"Stay back," I spot a hazy dot of dark grey out of the edge of my vision.

"Wha-!" The white Crystallic's claw struck ice, a thick plate of it shielding my head.

"Takes one to know one, amateur," I said, pushing him off to the side. He's snarling, clearly offended by me.

"I don't need some traitorous bitch to lecture me!" He swiped at me, anger impairing his strength as I sidestepped to the right to avoid it.

"I prefer 'half-bred bastard' over that," I commented bitterly, making him slip on some steaming ice, "I also prefer if you left us alone from now on." And I promptly used my ice to catapult him back into his territory, his awestruck teammates running in after him.

That was fun~ The leviathan materialized beside me, wearing a smirk. I rolled my eyes,

"It was annoying," I told him, turning to look at Scar, the bear from before, scowling at me. Ivy looked like she was lost in thought, staring out into space. Choco's waving his paw in front of her hoping for a reaction.

By the way, Levin said, floating in front of me, when did ja get that nasty scar?

"...I met this camp's _motherfuckering_ _disaster_ and almost _died_." I told him.

Oh… I turned to the three shifters, opening my mouth to tell them to go back to camp. Then an ear-splitting scream filled the air, like an old creaky monster on a wide thunder path. I snapped my head around and saw a heart-wrenching sight;

A Phoenix rose above the treeline, its feathers a fiery silver amidst the blue sky. I paled at the sight, a purely shocking fact intruded into my mind.

' _Twilight, you had a brother?_ '

***BTL***

"WHO. DID. THIS." I glared at the border patrol, trying to force out the answer which I already knew but don't want to believe in. The Crystallics lowered their heads, and standing in the lead, was Dusk. The once snowy white Crystallic coat soaked with blood, a severe burn melted away the fur from his left shoulder to his back, leaving a hideous, black brimmed scar on the beaten tom. The other cats in the patrol were also burned, blisters and burnt spots missing fur covered their bodies. Tanzanite, Dusk's Crystal circled her Crystallic, then rose to the treetops. Angered cries of an energy outburst rocked the ground and shook the trees. I ignored the Crystallic and hopped down the fallen tree.

"Dear general, it was the Shifter Chief, Saber, who burnt us with his peculiar ice. He took us by surprise." Tigerwing reported after the silver phoenix's sharp cries slowly faded away. The pale brown tabby's voice was hoarse with fear and pain. _Saber. Why does it have to be_ Saber _?!_ I squeezed through the beaten crowd of cats surrounding their wounded comrades. Silvermist sat beside Dusk, her gentle paws applying honey on the deputy's burn while he tried to force back cries of agony.

"How is he?" I swallowed back a sob when I saw Dusk's burn up close. The fur around the scar was charred black while the skin had been burnt into a lifeless grey, leaving the pink inside covered with a mass of blisters.

"Bad." the silver tabby replied without looking up, her brilliant green eyes focused on the burnt deputy. I looked around me. All cats, even Lightningstreak, stood with their heads down and shoulders slumped, their eyes stared out in space lifelessly. I stood there, anger, confusion, helplessness, hatred, love, worry, spun in my head. _Round and round, round and round…_ Finally, I padded back to the fallen tree and turned to look at every single one of my cats right in their panicked eyes.

"My dear comrades. We see the sails of the enemy approaching. We smell their scent over our borders. They had already killed and wounded too many of us!" I shouted over their whimpers of fear.

"Soon now, we will have to meet them face to face. But never fear, my soldiers, never fear. For we have the power of each other." I announced, tail high above me, eyes determined. Quickly, the Crystallics gathered what was left of their strengths Here, I'll show you. Gather around me, Crystallics, gather around! Release your anger through your powers! Call out your noble Crystals, for tonight, they shall fight amongst our sides like many nights before! Let them come even with the armies of the Dark Forest. They will not succeed! And when this day of battle is ended, we meet again in on the holy fields of Starclan. Tonight, we are glorious! We shall declare battle on the Shifters!" I cried as loud as I can, while my comrades chanted our name.

"Crystallics! Crystallics! Crystallics! Crystallics!" Blinding colourful lights bloomed from each Crystallic, battle cries of their Crystals deafened every cat's ear. I watched them, realizing I'm panting with excitement.

 _Just one last time._ I blinked under Silverpelt, imagining Saber's eyes filled with all the stars in the sky. _Let me bring glory to this army for one last time as a general, shall I step down to raise my kits whole-heartily as a proud mother and noble soldier of this Crystallic army._

"Crystallics! Crystallics!" I chanted along. _Just one last time._

* * *

 **A/N: Oh wow. I didn't think this convoluted story made by a scatterbrain and an overworked high schooler could gather even _one_ follower. I'm honestly shocked. Thanks, I guess? I don't really have anything else to say.**

 **~Storm**


	12. Nothing to Fight For

Chapter 12

Nothing to Fight For

I listened to the chanting of the crystallics from above, careful as to not leave a conspicuous shadow in the middle of their camp. I was… worried.

' _This is going to put a huge wrench in my plans.'_ I thought, flying back to the boulder. I had told Scar to bring the mentor and apprentice back to camp and had taken off the see what my threat did to the camp. Instead of simply telling Dusk, her brother, to back off and stop being so aggressive and a jerk, she started another _StarClan forsaken war_. It was only a few moons, and she _fuc-_.

"Chief," I lift my head up to see Zig staring me down. He huffed, then looked away from me, "Willow had me tell you that there are new kits in the camp."

"Who's kits?" I asked, motioning him to walk me there. He snorted,

"Lark," He said, "The annoying, dead cat's mate."

"Tiger's mate?" I muttered.

"Yeah, Lark's pretty… distressed over that. Almost got her killed," He said, not seeming to care about her near-death moment, "Not that I really cared, she's really needy. Not even the trainees have enough time to deal with her."

"Humm. another subject; how many kits?" I asked, stopping in front of the leaf covered den.

"Three. She hasn't named them yet. I bet she's out cold," He joked, waving his paw around playfully.

"Alright, go tell Willow that I now know about these kits. I'll check on them now." He bowed then walked off. I turned to look at the entrance, listening to the silence. I stuck my head through the foliage and looked around the den. Lark was the only queen in there, asleep in the far right corner with three kittens curled up next the tan tabby.

"Well then," I muttered, nuzzling one of the kits onto its side and peeling its eye open, "So it does run in the family."

***BTL***

A quarter moon had passed since my convincing speech of starting another war. It must be well into the midst of autumn now. The golden and red leaves felt crunchy under my freezing wet paws that were treading through the mud for the first half of the night. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore my rapid heartbeats and instead focus on the things surrounding me. The leaves smelled an earthy kind of way, mixed with the scents of overripe wild berries. The air itself was damp, crisp and cold in a very refreshing way, every whiz of autumn breeze pulling me awake and keeping my brain focused on the big plan. _Oh yes, the_ big _plan._

The plan was made through three nights of careful planning and intense conversations to ensure that the Shifters will not recover in a long period of time after this attack. We were supposed to attack during twilight when everything is foggy and dark so the enemy could not see anything but their own whiskers. I had assigned each sergeant a small group of soldiers, and those small groups of cats will line up right in front of the came entrance, waiting for the signal to charge.

I turned quietly and looked back at my group of soldiers. Jaypaw was taking position behind me, his dappled grey fur almost blended in perfectly with the pale ash trees and fallen barks. The trainee was shaking, but his blue eyes were determined and I know he will fight like Lionclan in his first battle. I turned my attention to Iceclaw. The brown tabby was obedient and kept his mouth shut for once, but his raccoon is already forming in his tawny eyes, and his claws were dug into the muddy ground impatiently. The young soldier will do fine. I glanced at Sunstorm, who waited patiently and haven't moved a muscle since we arrived. His green eyes were sharp and focused, his posture was sturdy under his thick, two-toned pelt. Unlike the other cats, who suffered from a lack of warmth due to their clean-cut short pelts.

The first streak of light was already making its way out of the heaviness of the charcoal coloured night.

 _It's time._ I surveyed my soldiers once more, gathered my energy, and let it explode all around me in a fury of red. All at once, more bloomed silently from each cat, forming splashes of colours in the foggy night air. The disguised guards were immediately alarmed but captured and knocked down in a matter of seconds.

 _My signal had been received._

The energy outbursts only lasted for no longer than a heartbeat. Then, silently, Crystallics and Crystals started to make their way through the wide open, unprotected camp, and into the heart of the Shifter territory. I quickly took lead, then slipped into the Chieftain's den quietly with my group of soldiers standing on guard outside the small cave to make sure nobody can come in or out.

It was all so quiet. So quiet. Then, what felt like a century later, the first screams of horror pierced through the autumn night. The war had begun.

***BTL***

"What the hell is _with Crystallics_ and _war?_ " I growled, watching semi-transparent, multicoloured animals run rampant across our camp, "I swear to _Starclan_ that this is getting fucking ridiculous." I turned my back to the massacre, commanding Levin to eliminate the intruders as I entered my den. I was annoyed, yes, but more so pissed. I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dim light of my den.

"I know you're in here," I hissed, glaring at the very back of the den, "You should stop hiding, lest you want something broken."

Twilight stepped out of the shadows, pelt turning pure white under a sliver of moonlight. She smells of kits.

"Do you see a meaning to this war?" I scowled at her, watching her face for flickers of emotions, "All I see is bloodshed. Nothing comes of bloodshed! You should know that!"

Her face scrunched up just a tiny bit before relaxing, "I do know that. But I also see Shifters as a useless tribe. They were the Crysallic's SLAVES before they defected. Now they are becoming a HAZARD to other cats. Don't you think it's better off this way? To keep them busy at war with us instead of raiding other innocent clans? It's better off to make them SERVE." she hissed.

I knew she didn't mean to say that last part, but I flinched anyways at that statement. I wanted to rebuke her, to tell her she is wrong. But I already know I was wrong. We still were slaves but to a different master. Odin.

"Then what about me? Huh? Am I just a puppet?" I asked, feeling something stroking my back. Twilight hesitated, staring me in the eyes. She was afraid to answer, fear making her pupils shrink.

"No… Saber… I..."

I glared at her for a good minute, listening to the howls of pain outside. I scoffed,

"I going to stop this meaningless bloodshed," I told her, backstepping out of the den, "But make sure this does not happen _again_!"

I turned and sprinted out of the musty hole, tears clinging to my fur. In all my betrayal fueled anger, I plowed through the battalions of Crystallics, watching their shocked faces and I hurled them back to their territory.

' _No bloodshed, no more death. Only the fear of failure._ '

***BTL***

I padded slowly out of the den, dread suffocating me as I watched Levin and Saber drove my soldiers back. The Shifters soon spotted me standing in their leader's den, and quickly surrounded me, spitting with anger.

"Twilightfall! Help us!" Sunstorm screeched before his two tones red pelt disappeared beneath angry hissing shifters. Tears rolled down my face as I watched motionlessly. I tried to move, I tried to leap down and help my dear soldiers. But I _couldn't._ Negative thoughts grew wild in my mind, pinning me down with slimy, black tentacles. I felt horrible, guilt and pain like blunt knives jabbing into my guts. _Once, twice… It goes on and on and on._

 _I have failed. I failed them once_ again _. I failed them_ all _._ Howls of agony deafened my ears, but I couldn't move. My vision started to blur as I tried to stop dark thoughts from attacking my fragile mind. The pain was horrifically unbearable. Finally realized that the pain was not only just in my head but also physical coming from my belly.

"Saber!" I screamed, bursting into tears uncontrollably as I realized what was happening. I couldn't feel my paws as I stumbled from the leader's den. The circle of shifters surrounded me, roars of fury accompanied by vicious claws and teeth landed on me. I wanted to throw up. A claw landed on my belly and I screeched. In a great effort to keep my kits safe, I placed my limbs around my underbelly under vicious beatings and curled my tail around my body and head. Despite the morbid feeling of sickness, pain, and the chaos all around me, I tried to push. Blood pooled around me in my effort, but it was useless.

"Saber… save the kits…" I whimpered as countless blows landed on my back and shoulders. _I shall suffer in the dark forest forever, but my kits shouldn't. They're innocent._ Vague thoughts and painful memories flashed through my mind. I stiffened when I realized that some Crystallics had joined the Shifters to attack, and some chose to stay aside and watch. _I_ deserve _this. I have_ failed _them._ I tried to gather the last of my energy to push once again, but both Zircon and I knew that there wasn't a chance. _I was under too much pain and stress to do it. I couldn't even release Zircon._

 _I'm sorry, Zircon. That you and the kits had to suffer with me. Oh, my kits._ Tears streamed silently down my face as Starclan's starry fields started to zoom in before me. Another claw landed on my shoulder. Blood rushed out of the wound.

 _Take my life, Zircon. Take care of the kits for me._

' _... I'm staying here. I always will be. No matter who you are, where you are, what you have done, I will always be here.'_

Zircon's words left a ripple in my ocean of pain. My world darkened and swirled before me. I closed my eyes.

 _Are you among the crowd, too?_

***BTL***

I tossed another Crystallic back over the river, some of my clanmates watching with wonder as blood rained down.

' _Blood, blood, blood,_ ' I thought, growling at the terrified crystals before mauling them into a flurry of light specks.

My frenzy called upon baser instincts, leading me to crash and burn all in my path be it friend or foe. All the Shifters cheered, all those present at least. Some roared, some hollered, some screamed a battle cry before attacking with renewed vigour, driving the enemy back more.

"Let's get them!" Someone shouted, gathering a choir of "YEAH!"

A stream of ice (ice baby) escaped from my maw, creating a wall. Some charged through in their fear or excitement for battle, creating holes in the wall. Others skidded to a stop, facing their enemies with a terrified look upon their faces.

Ignoring the ones stuck beyond the newly erected wall, I glared at the mob that pile up on each other, trying to get to whatever was on the bottom. One leap and I was looking down on them, all of them freezing mid-air as they felt the heat of my breath.

The shifter log rolled to safety, unembarrassed by their actions as they left my range. The crystallics in the pile were brave, sizing up a dragon much larger and saying something akin to ' _I've seen bigger!_ '.

"Idiots…" I hissed angrily, slapping them aside. I turned to the unmoving figure on the ground.

Without hesitation, I scooped her up in my claws and slipped into the woods, leaving all confused and angry complaints after me.

She has kits was all Levin said.

***BTL***

I didn't know what was happening. Darkness and pain enveloped me. _I couldn't see._ My body hurt all over, but I could feel the wounds had been treated. The moss and dried twigs under me felt like a made up den. I reached out a paw and withdrew quickly after touching the stone, ice cold ground. I realized I was in a cave. A stick had been left abandoned beside me. I sniffed it. Somebody had bit it so hard the stick had been nearly broken in half. This is when I realized tiny fluffy bodies rested motionless under my belly. Great terror struck me.

 _My kits._ I bent down to nose them, but instead, I hit my nose on the stone floor. I didn't have time to deal with my bruised nose and grey vision, I need to check on _my kits_. My muzzle finally rested among tiny fluffy bodies after two more tries. They were still. I started licking their muzzles immediately and groomed them in a desperate rate. _They're not breathing._ I licked the covering off them and licked clean their eyes. Finally, they stirred and squirmed, reaching out their tiny paws and yawning with tiny mouths. Extreme happiness bloomed inside me, wiping away dark thoughts.

 _My kits are safe._ I let out a relieved and satisfied sign when my kits finally started to feed. I nudged them one by one, making sure they are all doing good.

 _One, two, three… Four!_ This time I was even happier. _Four_ kittens! I let out a happy mew and started grooming them again. My eyes also seemed to be working and adjusting slowly to the dark now. _Oh, how I wished to see them! Only my eyes could adjust to the dark faster!_ I continued grooming them until I heard steady breathing. I didn't know how to be a good mother, but I just did what instinct told me to do.

I felt extremely tired, but I wanted to stay watch for my dear kittens. Finally, I can make out the shapes of my kittens, warm and safe in my embrace. _Oh, how beautiful they are!_ I looked them over and studied each so thoroughly and focused I didn't even realize someone padded in the cave. A pebbled skipped across the clearing and landed beside my paws.

"Who's there?!" I hissed, claws unsheathed and tail around my kits protectively. A brown tabby walked out of the shadows, eyes glowing jade and brown. _Saber._ But I was strangely alert, my growls growing louder for each step he takes to my kits. Saber stopped just at the right distance, a kitten step away from my limit.

"Don't come any closer, or your pelt gets shredded," I warned, paused, and twitched my ears in confusion. Saber was _crying._

"I'm their father." He stated determinedly and inched stubbornly towards me until his whiskers itched on my face. My ears were burning by the time I could feel his breathing. He wasn't looking at me, he was looking at my kits. _Our_ kits.

I felt oddly safe and complete at his side, our kits peacefully asleep beside me.

I fell into deep sleep.

***BTL***

"Why'd you save that crystallic bitch?!" Someone yelled out from the crowd of disapproving yowls. I was standing at the edge of the forest, covered in crimson from head to tail.

I turned my head to look at them from the side, face neutral and my tail down.

"What makes you think I did that?" I asked, "Who knows where this blood came from, hm?" The shifters started muttering amongst themselves, suddenly unsure of my guilt.

"He saved those half-blooded kits of his!" A scratchy voice called out.

"He murdered that she-devil in cold-blood!" A high pitched voice countered.

Soon it was divided between I slashed Twilight's throat in a secluded area and I saved her because she had my kit(s).

"He's already a Half-blood! Look at that serpent of his!" Levin just gaped at the cat who shouted that.

I am sorry sir, but _I_ am _not_ a _snake!_ He huffed indignantly, I am a majestic _Leviathan!_

"Whatever ya overgrown lizard." I stopped Levin before he could snark back at him.

"I don't feel like listening to you bicker," I said, walking through the parting crowd of Shifters, "I will face whoever wins this scuffle, and I will either reward them or kill them. It's just that simple. Now leave." All of them shuffled back into dens or groups, still glaring and having a silent argument.

.

.

.

The night fell soon, the clouds covering the sky. Shifters all returned to their dens for the night, unhappy growls and heavy footsteps echoing throughout the night.

I jumped down from my spot from the tree, landing in a dirt patch. I checked all the dens before slipping into the woods. As soon as I thought I was out of earshot, I broke into a sprint running towards the cave where I hid Twilight.

The cave came into view, a rock pile that connected into a larger mound with some moss, vines and leaves holding it together. I could hear something moving within, a melodic movement like grooming. I could smell kits. _My_ kits.

I peeled away the leaves and stepped inside, kicking a pebble in my haste. Something jumped.

"Who's there?" I kept walking towards the white blob as I waited for my eye to adjust. She started growling when I caught a glimpse of my kits, tiny forms shivering within the safety of the cave.

"Don't come any closer, or your pelt gets shredded," Twilight growled, I could see the tiredness in her eyes now. I stopped, and tears welled up in my eyes.

"I'm their father," I said confidently, feeling the tears flow down my fur and splatter onto the stone floor. This reminded me so much of our first meeting. Of the crystals and Twilight's sickly state.

I took a risky move, inching up to her face to take a closer look at our kits. They stopped shivering, looking more relaxed as I moved closer. I could see her physically relax for every step I took. Twilight was fading to sleep, her laboured breaths lightening as she put her head down. I curled up on the other side of the kits, feeling their little hearts beat the rhyme of life.

"Live free, that is all I ask," I told their sleeping forms before settling down beside Twilight and putting my head down to take a nap. I never truly slept, only napped. I wonder when I can finally rest.

***BTL***

Pride swelled and threatened to burst in my heart. _My kits!_ I groomed them over and over again, watching them squirm and paw at each other. I felt happy. The first time I felt truly happy in moons.

"They are beautiful." I sighed, nosing Saber's soft brown pelt. The brown tabby was still half asleep, his fluffy head propped on my shoulder, his tail around mine. I looked down at him and purred. Those crystal clear eyes of his were lazily gazing back at me, happiness and pride glistened in ember and bronze.

"It's been seasons since we last spent time together like this. Without hatred, without anger, without betrayal, without sadness… Just us." he mewed softly, his breath sending a tingling sensation down my spine. I rubbed my chin on his forehead affectionately in response.

"Only if it could last longer." I purred rather sadly. Saber did not respond and instead stared at our kits.

"We should think of naming them," Saber meowed, "they deserve good names."

"The best names." I agreed while looking over each of them carefully, not missing any details. Saber stood up and stretched lazily, then crouched down beside the kits, offering friendly cheek rubs or affectionate licks every now and then.

"This little tom looks like me the most." Saber purred proudly as he nosed a dark mackerel tabby with a white muzzle, paws, and tail tip. The tom kit squirmed but did not make any sound when Saber played around with the kit's long ear tufts.

"He should be Hazelkit." Saber suggested. I nodded and repeated the kit's name under my breath.

"It's a beautiful name." I purred.

"We have another tom here," Saber announced. I rolled my eyes as the brown tabby poked the black tom's soft belly as he squirmed and squeaked under his father's merciless paw.

"As if I don't already _know_ that." I humphed as I pulled the poor kit in my embrace again. The tom kit had a white muzzle, socks, a little patch of white on his chest, and smooth shiny black coat.

"Ravenkit." Saber suggested. _That_ sent a shudder down my spine.

"Nah, it reminds me too much of Ravenpaw…" I left it at that and didn't need to say more.

"Marblekit." I meowed. Saber nodded in agreement and went back to 'playing' with poor Marblekit. I scooped a fluffy siamese she-kit up and nosed her soft, long fur. Her fluffy long tail was a tangled mess, and I started on it immediately. That's when I noticed something unusual about her.

"Her scent reminds me of something." I meowed to Saber. The brown tabby reached forward and sniffed his daughter. Only a heartbeat later did the tom's ears perked up in interest.

"It's mint." He reported. _But how could a newborn kit that had never taken a step out of her mother's side have the smell of mint on her?_

A slight breeze started, and more cold, refreshing scents rushing in. Saber sprinted out and reappeared heartbeats later.

"There's a sea of mint plants outside the cave, and it's dancing in the wind," Saber's eyes were sparkling, "I wish you could see it. It's beautiful."

"Just like our daughter." I breathed. _Mintkit._ And that's decided.

The last kit yet to be named is a tiny she-kit with soft, clean, and short-cut coat. Beautiful white lynx point patterns were displayed on her coat, the stripes echoing each other like reflections in the water.

"Echokit." I decided.

"Echokit it is, then." Saber echoed and smiled. I smiled back.

"They are our little warriors," I meowed proudly.

"Yes, they will become great warriors." Saber echoed with the same pride in his voice.

***BTL***

I had many erratic naps, each a different length until the sun, still below the horizon, started to eat away the stars. I nudged Twilight,

"I have to leave. I'll come back." I told the half awake figure. I left before she could talk back, slipping past the leaves and running back to the Shifter's camp. No one was awake, snores and rustling moss was all that entered my ears. I slipped into my den and released the breath I had subconsciously held.

I rubbed against the rough interior to get rid of the kit smell that clung to me and had another nap while waiting for the Shifters to awaken.

As soon as they did, I left the confines of my den and greeted them with tired eyes. Patrols were sent, hunting parties were dispatched and Dusk is reported as a 'Huge Jerk'. Several reports dictate him as a huge jerk.

"What should we do now?" Aspen asked as I ate my meal. I looked up from my lunch.

"We're moving."

"What?" Aspen said, "You're joking, right Chief?"

"No," I glared at her, making Aspen break into a sweat, "We are moving away from bloodshed."

How I will break this to Twilight… I'll improvise.

* * *

 **A/N: Confusing chapter is confusing**

 **~Storm**


	13. A Break in the Sky

Chapter 13

A Break in the Sky

Intricate patterns of ice floated down from the pure, pale blue sky above, each flake swirling and dancing as an icy wind carried it towards me. I stood outside the cave, breathing in fresh, cold air. The branches and the ground are already covered in a thin layer, reflecting brilliant light into my eyes. I blinked and looked down, surprised at how well I blended in with the surroundings. My nose started to sting when snowflakes fell on it. A random worriedness wrenched my heart, forcing me back in the cave, letting out a relieved sigh as I saw the kits playing and squeaking in delight with Zircon.

It's been three-quarter moons since my kits were born. The kits are getting more and more talkative and curious to the outside world. Their emotions can be easily predicted nowadays.

They were all over the place; climbing on and off me, hiding in the beddings, pulling off Zircon's feathers, gnawing on random pieces of sticks, pebbles and bones, jumping on Saber when he's here.

There's also been a big change to their physical appearance. They got bigger and slightly stronger. Their ears are erect and baby teeth can be seen peeking out of their mouths. The misty dark blue in their eyes was fading away; Marblekit's eyes were greying, Mintkit and Echokit's eyes were brightening in colour every day, and a hint of green had crept into Hazelkit's eyes.

"Kits, it's cold and snowing outside," I warned as I shook my pelt and settled down beside the shrunk version of my Crystal, "don't get too close to the entrance and don't even think about going out. I don't want you to get a cold."

"But you and daddy and Zircon always go out!" Hazelkit argued. I just returned a sad, mellow look.

"Mommy gets sad when her kittens yell at her." I whimpered while forcing back amused purrs.

The two toms sighed miserably and trotted back to me, offering an apologetic and comforting lick. Zircon rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes, I just wonder if you're mentally okay." Zircon commented with a facepalm.

"You have your ways, I have mine," I replied proudly.

Suddenly, I heard a thump outside the cave. I was up instantly, gathering my kits behind me, alert and ready to pounce. Zircon stomped out and returned a few heartbeats later with a cat covered in snow. The snowcat put down a mouth load of prey and shook his pelt, revealing stripped brown pelt and odd coloured eyes.

"Saber!" the kits chanted in delight. I padded quickly to his side and buried my muzzle in his snow-covered pelt, not minding the stinging iciness on my nose at all.

"You're home." I meowed, my voice muffled in all that fur. To my surprise, Saber only gave me a warm but uncertain look and pulled back. Instead of responding me, he bent down and greeted his kits one by one.

 _Why is he avoiding me?_ I nosed the two blackbirds and one squirrel Saber had brought and looked up to see the ground outside covered in clean snow. No hint of any existence of prey.

I looked back at the brown tabby, apparently too focused on playing with his kits, who refused to look back at me.

This is almost like… he's feeling _guilty_.

I narrowed my eyes.

***BTL***

The shifters didn't take moving very well. That is until I reminded them that food was running low, the crystalline army had been hunting nonstop to feed all the new mouths they had brought in. We were too weak to fight back, so here we are now, slowly tearing down our camp.

Twilight… I would have to move her to a different cave, farther from the battlefield but still close enough to visit.

' _How will I break this to her,_ ' was still the biggest question.

I raced across the forest, the full moon high in the sky and snow crunching softly beneath my paws. I jumped up and snatched a raven from its sleep, it's neck snapping quietly as I broke it. A squirrel and chipmunk also fell victim to me, too swift and fast.

I stopped at the cave entrance, listening to excited meows. They could smell me now, greeting me before I even entered.

I burst through the curtain of vegetation, prey in my maw and kits looking up at me in awe.

"Daddy!" All four of them yowled at the same time. Twilight was in the back of the cave, smiling warmly. A pang of guilt struck me in the chest as I smiled back. I put down the prey, allowing the kits to eat.

"Can we go outside yet, Daddy?" Hazelkit pleaded, his greenish eyes wide as he did so.

"Yeah!" Marblekit joined in, "I want to see the stars!"

I gave an uncertain look to Twilight, who was preoccupied with the other two kits.

"Alright," They started cheering, "But you can't run off, okay?"

"Yes, Daddy!" and they tried to bolt through the door, only to be blocked by Levin, who was standing guard at the entrance.

"Ack!" startled, Levin broke off into many flakes of blue snow, covering the kits.

"It's warm!" Marblekit remarked staring at the unmelting snowflake in shock. I ushered them outside, Levin reforming to make a fenced off area for us.

"Woah…" They looked up at the stars in awe, what looked to be the faces of StarClan looking down on them with neutral expressions.

"Every star is a cat who died, they now live in StarClan, who look down on us," I told them as they huddled around me to escape the cool, bare-leaf air.

"Daddy?" Hazelkit looked up at me, "Do you sing?"

"Eh?" I paled at the thought, "D-did...Mommy tell you that?"

The little tabby nodded innocently.

"Do you?"

"...Y-yes, Daddy sings…" I answered, a little embarrassed.

"Daddy's getting warmer!" Marblekit said in shock, rubbing against my belly. I felt my ears heat up at that comment. Kits could really tear down mental walls.

"Can you sing for me?" Hazelkit asked, eyes still wide and pleading. Twilight was at the entrance of the cave now with Mintkit and Echokit on either side. She was smirking. I was really heating up now.

"S-sure…" I said quietly as Twilight groomed Mintkit and still kept a mischievous eye on me. Thank StarClan I put them in a place really far from camp.

 _Shipwrecked in a sea of faces_

 _There's a dreamy world up there_

 _Dear friends in higher places_

 _Carry me~ away from here_

 _Travel light, let the sun eclipse you_

' _Cause your flight is about to leave!_

 _There's more to this brave adventure-_

 _Than you'll ever believe~!_

 _Bird's eye view, awake the stars 'cause they're all around you~_

 _Wide eyes will always brighten the blue!_

 _Chase your dreams, and remember me, sweet bravery_

' _Cause after all those wings will take you, up so high_

 _So bid the forest floor goodbye as you race the wind_

 _A-and, take to the sky!_

 _On the heels of war and wonder_

 _There's a stormy world up there_

 _You can't whisper above the thunder_

 _But you can fly anywhere~_

 _Purple burst of paper birds~_

 _This picture paints a thousand words_

 _So take a breath of myth and mystery_

 _And don't look back!_

 _Bird's eye view, awake the stars 'cause they're all around you~_

 _Wide eyes will always brighten the blue!_

 _Chase your dreams, and remember me, sweet bravery_

' _Cause after all these wings will take you, up so high_

 _So bid the forest floor goodbye as you race the wind_

 _A-and, take to the sky!_

 _There's a realm above the trees_

 _Where the lost are finally found_

 _So touch your feathers to the breeze_

 _And leave the ground~_

 _Bird's eye view, awake the stars 'cause they're all around you~_

 _Wide eyes will always brighten the blue!_

 _Chase your dreams, and remember me, sweet bravery_

' _Cause after all these wings will take you, up so high_

 _So bid the forest floor goodbye as you race the wind_

 _A-and, take to the sky!_

 _You take to the sky~_

 _You take to the sky~ (Owl City-To the Sky)_

Soon enough, the kits were asleep, their soft purrs echoing through the quiet forest. We moved them back into the cave so they wouldn't catch a white cough.

***BTL***

I woke up to a sharp poke in the face.

Not knowing where I was, I stumbled out of the bedding and nearly tripped over Marblekit, who was snoring. I blinked open my eyes and struggled to heave my body up. It was Saber. It was still dark, the stars were still twinkling and the sun is nowhere to be seen. The kits are deep asleep, half buried in the freshly changed bedding. The brown tabby was already at the cave entrance. The cold early morning wind brushed his pelt, his beautifully ringed tail motioned me to follow him.

Go now. I'll take care of them. I jumped at the voice but only found that it was Levin, Saber's Crystal.

 _I'll trust you to take care of the kits… For now._ I let out a deep sigh and padded towards Saber. Fresh, cold air and the occasional bird call greeted me as I walked out of the cave. We walked deeper into the forest and came into a clearing. Little dots of light was bobbing up and down in the air, illuminating a great stone in the middle of the clearing. Its surface glittered under the soft starlight

"Wow." I breathed as we both settled down on the great stone, our tails intertwined behind us. We were silent when thousands and millions of fireflies danced around us in a rough circle, flashing as they went.

"I wanted to show you this." Saber's eyes were soft as they rested on me. I focused on Saber's eyes. One green and one brown. Both filled with brilliant starlights.

"You have stars in your eyes," I meowed. Saber chuckled and gently wiped away a silent tear that slipped down my face.

"It's unbelievable how long it had been. When we first fell in love and now when we had our own kits." Saber sighed and turned his attention to the sky. I followed his gaze. The sky had been dyed a dark, rich blue while a touch of faint golden light appeared on one side of the sky. The stars were fading away.

"Would you disappear quietly, too? Just like the stars?" I suddenly asked without thinking. I felt the brown tabby stiffen, then a reassuring rub on the face.

"Where you are, I will be. I will be like the stars, sometimes hidden behind clouds or the brightness of the day, but I will always be there. Always." I closed my eyes and buried my muzzle in his soft tabby striped fur.

It smelled like fresh mint.

***BTL***

"How is the construction going," I asked Aspen, padding up to her.

"It was delayed," She seethed, "Damn Crystallics almost killed Lark's newly born kits, Sparrow, Hawk and Flame."

"That's what she chooses?" I sat down beside her, looking down at the broken camp, "The kit's aren't crippled, are they?"

"Sparrow has multiple scars around her neck, Hawk's left eye was ripped out, Flame… Flame was burned badly."

"...Scum,"

"I couldn't agree more,"

"Tell me if something else happens, and not to hesitate to defend. Have some cats put up some temporary barricades. That should keep the Crystallics at bay," I told her, "And send a group of three to find a new camp area." I left the little ledge. The shifters all dipped their heads around me, either out of shame or to cover their silent snarls. Aspens ordering shout had the shifters working at once, their bodies blurring before bears, wolves and other sorts of creatures flooded the camp.

The barricades rose fast, made of splintered logs, plates of stone, and tied together with poorly made twine. It looked like a twoleg made wall.

It was sun-down when it was finished and already the cries of dismayed crystallics could be heard beyond it. The sentries place upon the wall started screeching at the intruders, dodging fireballs and compressed wind blades.

Then, all at once, the camp went silent. Nothing moved, the sentries were partially asleep and the wind stopped blowing. The land itself looked drained of colour, hues of black and white replacing the once vibrant landscape.

" **YOU'RE STILL MINE**." A still wind howled.

"I was never yours," I told _him_ defiantly, eyes burning up with hate, "And I never will be."

***BTL***

Night had fallen fast upon the place. No more than a few moments ago the sky was painted with hues of red, orange and pink. However, all colour had faded now, leaving only a storming black vortex with no stars but raging snow to be looked upon.

I shivered in the cold. The wind, along with snowflakes and pecks of ice, blew against me. The fur around my cheeks and along my back had frozen, the skin beneath suffering from severe frostbites. The only warmth was coming from under my belly and between my limbs where the kittens are snuggly sound asleep.

Today was the fifth day without Saber. He had completely vanished along with the last of my hope and reason. I was still too weak to hunt, most of my powers had left me and joined the kits, the cave was getting colder and less home-like without Saber.

We had moved on, now living in a tiny but cozy space between a fallen tree and a huge stone. Zircon was only half of powerful as he had been in the old days, but he still volunteered to tirelessly hunt for survival every day. While Zircon was away, an angry blizzard had appeared out of nowhere and vented upon the forest. The kits and I were outside collecting beddings. In the blizzard there was no way to know which direction to go, the usual landmarks were hidden behind the white that swirled so densely. I gave up on trying to find the way back and let instinct take over: dug a hole in the snow, shoved the kits and beddings in and crouched down on them, acting as a fluffy blanket. The kits and I are trapped in the snow, alone and helpless. The extreme cold soon left me shivering with frostbites along my back, desperately trying to keep my kittens warm.

It must have been hours since we were trapped here. A layer of snow had covered me, forming a small space in the snow.

My eyelids were heavy, the stinging pain on my back slowly dulled, the howling of the wind faded away into a faint whisper, the swirling white soon stilled. I fought against the sleepiness, knowing that if I close my eyes and fall asleep now, I wouldn't be able to open them ever again.

I closed my eyes and listened. The storm was slowly easing.

 _If I can keep us alive until next day, we will be safe._

***BTL***

"This blizzard will be the end of us if we don't keep moving!" I shouted, "The scouts had reported a cave up ahead with plenty of prey around it!"

The Shifters howled with hunger, forging on with renewed strength through the chest high snow.

I picked up Sparrow from the snow, the little kit shivering in the cold environment. Milo strode forwards with Hawk in his jaw as he ran.

"I can see the cave! It's huge!" A shifter that sounded like Choco exclaimed. The once slow-moving cats jumped and were met with the cavern's opening, a huge maw like entrance that goes darker the farther in.

The shifters filed in, taking shelter in the rocky crevices of the cave, most huddling together for warmth. One of them dumped their stock of wood on the ground.

I made my way over the pile of wood, dropped Sparrow somewhere where she wouldn't get burned before breathing fire onto the sticks. Levin closed off the entrance with blue ice, cutting off the winds and helping to warm the huge cavern.

"Is this our permanent residence?" Hickory, an old elder, asked.

"Please let it be it,"

"Yeah! This place is cool!"

"I don't think I could survive another trip."

"What's your decision, Chief?" Aspen asked, snow slowly melting off her pelt.

"...If it is everyone's decision to stay, then so be it," I declared after a little bit of thought, "If you don't enjoy living in a cave, then you may leave."

"HOORAY!" Several cats cheered, immediately claiming den spots.

"Aspen… go deal with the den areas. We can't have Apprentices sleeping with the Warriors, can we?" Aspen nodded before leaving to sort out the mess.

"Saber," Zig approached me, "What are we going to do about food? Most of us are too weak to hunt and too cold to move."

"I'll go do it myself," I told him, "Inform Aspen or Willow of this."

"Of course," He bowed before leaving.

I padded to Levin.

"We're on hunting duty," I told him with a grin.

 _Finally! I thought I was going to get piled with boring things for the whole trip!_ He exclaimed excitedly, creating a hole in the ice wall to zip out of. I followed him back out into the harsh snow tempest with a chuckle.

As soon as I got out of the cave's sight, I shifted into a dragon, much to Levin's charagin.

The cave's location was several days away from the old camp, making it feasibly impossible for me to visit Twilight anymore.

A pang of guilt struck me in the chest.

' _I never told her… It's been five days… She probably hates me now…_ ' I thought sorrowfully.

I imagined the kits freezing to death in that lonely cave…

 _Hey, what's up?_ Levin asked worriedly.

"I feel like I made a huge mistake, and now I can't take it back," I told him, the feeling hot tears welling up in my eyes. "And I'm going to pay for it."

***BTL***

I shook off the snow in my pelt as I entered the small tree hollow. My limbs were numb, the sharp pain along my back had worsened, but I still have my Crystal and my kits to care for. I was their only hope.

I sighed heavily as I placed a skinny mouse and two frozen shrews down before Zircon. The phoenix's eyes were half closed sleepily, his flaming feathers were fluffed out in the cold, making the great bird two times its original size. I pushed the scrawny prey away and padded towards Zircon, brushing my tail along his flank.

"Hey, I brought back food," I meowed softly as I touched my nose to his forehead. _Even though it's only a few mouthfuls,_ I thought grimly. As my cold, damp nose touched his forehead, I realized that flames were a much higher temperature than the rest of his body, signalling a fever.

"You're still sick, and the infection isn't completely gone yet. Rest with the kits, we don't want to you get worse." I checked his infected wound on his side before padding to the corner of the hollow. The roots there were much denser, forming little pockets that can be used as a storage shelf. I sniffed the storage side of the wall, then emptied one pocket by plucking out the last of the few leaves that had a bitter scent to them and brought them back to the great bird.

"Here, eat these." I promoted before dropping the foul-smelling herb in front of Zircon. The Phoenix sighed, then swallowed the leaves slowly, cringing at its bitter taste.

"It tastes like mouse bile," Zircon complained.

"Stop complaining and be glad I learned something from Silentmist, 'cause not all Crystals get a half medi-cat Crystallic." I purred in amusement and gave him a comforting lick before turning to a pile of bedding. The mentioning of the Crystallic medicine cat gave me a fresh wave of painful memories of the past happy days spent with my cat-, er, the Crystallics. _Saber's, too._

Half a moon has passed since Saber disappeared. We were at least a few days travel from the Crystallic camp, and I have no intention to go back for it.

The blizzard dragged on, leaving scarce prey and desperate hunters. Zircon had gotten in a fight with a mountain lion for the frozen carcass of a scrawny rabbit and brought the crowfood back with an infected wound left by the mountain lion. We were in luck when we found this tree hollow before yet another blizzard kicked in. It was abandoned storage space. There were old beddings and dried herbs, and even a rotting, half-finished squirrel. The tree hollow's previous owner was obviously a cat, and they had left in a hurry.

I shook my pelt in an attempt to get rid of the melted snow and old memories. _If Saber was only there for me and the kits during those days just to make up for his time spent with others in the future, I'd rather he never come at all._ I bent down and nosed some of the beddings, moss, prey hides and feathers, away, and under them lay my kittens. They were sound asleep. I gave them each an affectionate lick before leaving again despite a mother's desperate need to stay with her kits. There were things to be done.

After applying more chervil leaf poultice and goldenrod juice to Zircon's infection, I ventured out into the snow again hoping more prey would be around at this time of the day.

After all, more food means more chance of survival.

 _Survival means a chance for revenge._

***BTL***

 _You're hyperventilating again, are you sure you're fine?_ Levin asked, coiled beside me.

"Yes, I'm fine," I told him coldly, shaking myself to level my breathing. I was worn out, spending sleepless nights shivering in my bedding. Several times night terrors woke me up, making me question if sleeping was really an escape anymore.

 _I'm sure the kits are fine, Twilight is too stubborn to let them die just like that._ Levin comforted.

"I'm more worried about what will happen if she finds me… will she claw out my heart, or rip out my eyes?"

"Chief!" Willow jumped up to my ledge. "The patrol you sent has come back with the herbs. Also, the fresh-kill pile is well stocked. The sick cats are being treated for and the trainees are exploring deeper into the cave with their teacher."

"...why are you telling me this?" I questioned, letting my tired eyelids to droop down.

"U-uh… Aspen is busy, s-so she told me to tell you!" She stuttered.

"Or you came on your own just to make me feel better," I said, tugging a corner of my lip into a grin. "I appreciate this, but I feel like you should go back to tending to the sick."

"O-of course!" Willow skittered away, almost tripping over a pebble as she went.

 _See? Ever this clan can see something is wrong!_ Levin protested. _Go get some sleep!_

"No!" I glared at him, "...No...I'd rather not."

 _Why not?_

"Because _He_ won't leave me alone. Especially in my dreams."

 _Oh… him._

"...Please don't leave me alone…"

 _Ha! How can I?_

***BTL***

The air was crisp and cold, the snow crunched under my paws. The forest was silent, treetops glistened under the sunlight. As I stopped under a huge pine tree I parted my jaws and let scents flood into my mouth.

It was mid-winter, but the blizzard had passed. I was able to recover the herb storage and expand the tree hollow during the peaceful days. Prey was returning, but still not as much as Greenleaf.

I crouched down immediately, careful not to disturb the prey ahead. A blackbird picked at an acorn lazily in the middle of a clearing, occasionally raising its head and glance at its surroundings with dark, beady eyes. I glided through the snow-covered forest floor until it was only a tail length away. Suddenly, I lost my balance and leaned sideways, making a loud crunching noise. The fat, well-fed bird quickly spread its wings and begun to fly up. Panicked, I leaped at it, claws reaching until I felt fuzzy feathers on my pads and batted it down hard. Ending its life with a killing bite, I picked up the bird and trotted back to the hollow.

A loud screech pierced through the forest, a few birds flew away, letting out panicked cries. I perked up my ears as I stopped in my tracks. _There goes another._ Abruptly, I dropped my fresh kill and ran for the hollow, recognizing Zircon's warning. _The kits._

Stretching my paws farther and farther from my body and then pulling them back, I galloped through the forest and raced for the hollow. Panic rose in me, my head felt light.

 _Please, I'm coming. Just a few more moments._

"Twilight!" I skidded to a halt before the hollow and stared at a large, glossy black bird. Its beak was menacingly pointed towards Marblekit, who hissed back with his littermates behind him. Zircon was a tangled mess at the back of the hollow. The great bird was panting, his fever seemed to be getting worse with the infection still torturing him every day.

"LEAVE. THEM. ALONE." I glared at the bird, not hesitating before striking out at it. It jumped away, dodging my blow. I quickly squeezed in between the bird and the kits and Zircon, claws unsheathed and lips pulled back. To my surprise, the bird didn't feel intimidated at all. It hopped back and forth as if teasing me. Anger burned in my chest. In a roar of fury, I sliced down with my claws unsheathed. The bird almost didn't hop back in time, and this time it got a little further away from me.

"GET. OUT. YOU STINKING RAVEN!" I growled, eyes wild. The bird tilted its head and stared back at me, its small beady eyes bright with amusement.

"That was not nice," it commented, "my feelings have been hurt." I bristled instantly and stared at the bird in shock.

"I did not know ravens can talk."

"Ravens can't, but _I_ can," the raven chuckled with amusement. It stepped forward and leaned forward, its sharp beak stopping right in front of the tip of my nose, its eyes twinkled with mischief.

"I'm Odin, the All-Father. It was a pleasure to meet you, Twilightfall."


End file.
